THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 

OF  CALIFORNIA 

LOS  ANGELES 

GIFT  OF 

Mrs*  Hans  Heymann,  Jr» 


JACK  SOMERS'S  PROMOTION.    Page  123 


THE  SAILOR  BOY; 


OB, 


JACK  SOMERS  IN  THE  NAYY. 


Storg  of  %  feat 


BY 


OLIVER    OPTIC, 


AUTHOR  OF  **  RICH  AND  HUMBLE,"    u  IN  SCHOOL  AND  OUT/*    "THE  BOAT  CLUB,' 
"LITTLE  BY  LITTLE,"    u  THE  RIVERDALE  STORY  BOOKS,"    ETC. 


BOSTON: 
LEE     AND      SHEPARD, 

SUCCESSOKS  TO  PHILLIES.   SAHPSOIf  fc  CO. 

1867. 


Entered,  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1863,  by 

WILLIAM    T     ADAMS, 
In  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  the  District  of  MassachusetU 


ELECTItOTTI'ED  BY 

C.   J.    PETERS    &    SON, 
Xo.  13  WASHINGTON  ST. 


{604 


CHARLES  A.  B.  SHEPARD,  ESQ., 


IS    RESPECTFULLY    DEDICATED 


BT      HIS      FRIEND 


WILLIAM    T.    ADAMS. 


8S2959 


THE  ARMY  AND  NAVY  STORIES. 

IN    SIX    VOLUMES. 


BY    OLIVER    OPTIC. 


i. 
THE    SOIVDIEPfc    BOY; 

Or,    Tom.    Somers    in.    the    .A.rmy. 

n. 
THE    SAILOR    HOY; 

Or,    Jack    Sorners    in    the    N"avy. 

in. 
THE    YOTJ1VG    DL.IETJTE3VA.1VT  ; 

Or,    The    .Axlventures    of  an    .A_rm.y    Officer. 

A  SEQUEL  TO  "THE  SOLDIER  BOY." 
IV. 

THE    Y^IVKEE    MIDDY ; 

Or,    The    Adventures    of   a    Naval    Officer. 

A  SEQUEL,  TO  "TUB  SAILOR  BOY." 
V. 

FIGHTING    JOE; 

Or,    The    Fortunes    of  a    Staff- Officer. 

A  SEQUEL  TO  "  T1IE  YOUNG   LIEUTENANT." 
VI. 

linA^E    O1L,T>    SA.T..T  ; 

Or,    Life    on    the    Quarter-Deck.. 

A  SEQUEL  TO  "  TUE  -YANKEE  MIDDY." 


PREFACE. 


THIS  volume,  like  its  predecessor  in  the  series  of  "ARMY  AND 
NAVY  STORIES,"  is  not  altogether  a  romance,  but  is  believed  to 
contain  a  judicious  blending  of  fact  and  fiction,  the  former  largely 
predominating  ;  the  latter  being  introduced  for  the  purpose  of 
connecting  and  cementing  the  incidents.  Like  "THE  SOLDIER 
BOY,"  it  is  the  record  of  a  young  man  whose  soul  burned  with  a 
patriotic  desire  to  serve  his  country  in  the  hour  of  her  greatest 
need  ;  and  therein  he  is  only  a  type  of  tens  of  thousands,  who  have 
forsaken  the  joys  of  home  and  the  allurements  of  plenty,  to  battle 
upon  the  sea  and  the  land  for  the  integrity  of  the  Union,  —  for 
a  united  country,  which  is  one  of  the  essential  elements  of  our 
national  peace,  freedom,  and  prosperity. 

The  work  is  not  a  connected  historical  narrative  of  the  opera- 
tions of  the  Western  Gulf  Squadron,  though  some  of  the  events 
introduced  will  form  a  brilliant  record  in  the  history  of  naval 
movements  in  the  South-west.  The  writer  hopes  the  book  will 
convey  a  correct  picture,  as  far  as  it  extends,  of  the  glorious 
achievements  of  our  gallant  tars  in  that  section ;  and  that  it  will 
impart  some  information,  especially  to  the  juvenile  reader,  in  regard 
to  the  life  of  a  man-of-war's  man. 

The  author  gratefully  acknowledges  his  indebtedness  for  valua- 
ble information,  for  charts,  diagrams,  and  reports,  to  some  of  his 


C  PREFACE. 

naval  friends,  but  especially  to  Ensign  FRANCIS  L.  HARRIS,  a 
member  of  the  late  Arctic  Expedition,  now  serving  his  country 
in  the  North  Atlantic  Squadron ;  to  whose  mind  the  following  pages 
will  recall  the  long  evenings  spent  in  arranging  the  details  of  this 
story. 

JACK  SOMERS  is  a  representative  character.  Many  have  lived 
as  well  and  fought  as  bravely  as  he  did  for  the  country  we  love: 
and,  while  we  commend  his  noble  and  patriotic  example  to  our 
youthful  readers,  we  may  remind  tflem  that  earnest  and  patient 
continuance  in  well-doing  is  sure  of  its  ultimate  reward;  which 
is  the  lesson  we  have  intended  to  teach  in  these  pages. 

WILLIAM  T.  ADAMS. 
DORCHESTER,  Nov.  24,  1864. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  PAOB 

I.  THE  VICTORY  AT  PORT  ROYAL 11 

II.  THE  DASHAWAY  IN  A  NOVEMBER  GALE 21 

III.  THE  SAILOR  AND  THE  SOLDIER 32 

IV.  THE  NAVAL  RENDEZVOUS 42 

V  ON  BOARD  THE  OHIO .,  .  54 

VI.    JACK  TAKES  A  LESSON  IN  DISCIPLINE 65 

VII.    THE  HARRISBURG 76 

VIII.    "ALL  HANDS,  UP  ANCHOR!" 86 

IX.    "  ALL  HANDS,  MAKE  SAIL  ! " 96 

X.    "  MAN  OVERBOARD  ! » 107 

XI.    THE  COCKSWAIN  OF  THE  CAPTAIN'S  GIG 117 

XII.    SHIP  ISLAND 127 

XIII.  THE  BOAT-EXPEDITION 139 

XIV.  JACK  ON  THE  LOOKOUT 150 

XV.    THE  C.  S.  STEAMER  WIZARD 161 

XVI.    THE  SHORE  BATTERY ,  .   172 

XVII.    RETURN  OF  THE  EXPEDITION 183 

XVIII.    FORTS  JACKSON  AND  ST.  PHILIP 193 

7' 


8  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  PAOB 

XIX.    QUARTERMASTER  SOMERS 202 

XX.    THE  U.  S.  STEAMER  MIDDY 212 

XXI.    UP  THE  RIVER  • 223 

XXII.    JACK  ASHORE 232 

XXIII.  THE  PLANTER'S  MANSION 243 

XXIV.  A  NIGHT-EXPEDITION 253 

XXV.    THE  CAPTURE  OF  THE  KKNSHAW 263 

XXVI.    THE  UNION  REFUGEES 27-1 

XXVII.    THE  CONSPIRACY  ON  BOARD  THE  MIDDY 284 

XXVIII.    THE  MIDDY  ON  THE  BLOCKADE 294 

XXIX.   THE  BLOCKADE-RUNNER 305 

XXX.     ON  THE  SUWANNEE  RIVER, 315 

XXXI.    HOMEWARD  BOUND 327 


THE    SAILOR   BOY. 


THE  SAILOE  BOY; 


JACK    SOMERS    IN    THE    NAVY. 


CHAPTER   L 

THE   VICTORY   AT   PORT   ROYAL. 

URRAH  for  the  navy ! "  shouted  John  Somers. 
as  he  rushed  into  the  house,  threw  his  cap  upoa 
the  floor  in  the  entry,  and  bolted  into  the  room 
where  the  family  were  just  sitting  down  to  supper. 
"  Hurrah  for  the  navy  ! " 

"What  is  the  matter  now,  John?"  demanded  Mrs. 
Somers,  placing  the  teapot  on  the  table,  and  suspending 
all  further  proceedings  till  the  excited  young  man  had 
told  the  news. 

" '  The  army  and  navy  forever !  Three  cheers  for 
the  red,  white,  and  blue ! ' "  added  John,  swinging  bis 

11 


12  THE    SAILOR    BOY,    OR, 

handkerchief,  and  singing  lustily  the  words  of  (he  patri- 
otic song. 

"  Why  don't  you  tell  us  what  the  news  is,  John  ?  You 
act  just  like  a  madman  when  any  thing  has  happened." 

"  Fort  Walker  and  Fort  Beauregard  captured  !  The 
navy  gave  'em  fits  down  there,"  replied  John,  pulling 
the  "Boston  Journal"  from  his  pocket,  and  tossing  it 
upon  the  table,  to  the  imminent  peril  of  the  milk 
pitcher,  which,  however,  maintained  its  gravity,  in  spite 
of  the  rude  assault. 

"  Massy  sake  !  I  thought  the  whole  Southern  consarn 
had  broke  down,"  added  Gran'ther  Green. 

"  It  will  break  down  and  cave  in  now.  Our  folks  have 
got  a  footing  in  South  Carolina  now,  and  they'll  soon 
bring  the  rebels  to  terms,"  said  John,  Avho  was  fully 
imbued  with  the  enthusiasm,  as  well  as  the  spirit  of 
prophecy,  which  pervaded  the  earlier  period  of  the  great 
American  Rebellion.  "  Let  me  tell  you,  grau'ther,  the 
navy  has  done  a  big  thing  down  there.  Commodore  Du- 
pont  will  bring  'em  to  their  senses  in  double-quick  time. 
Charleston  will  have  to  take  it  next." 

"  Eat  your  supper,  John,  and  talk  about  it  afterwards," 
interposed  Mrs.  Somers. 

"  Supper  ! "  exclaimed  John  :  "  who  can  eat  with  such 
news  as  this?  Let  me  read  it  to  you." 

Mrs.  Somers  and  the  rest  of  the  family  were  quite 
willing  to  hear  what  the  navy  had  done  at  Port  Royal ; 


JACK    SOMERS    IN    THE    NAVY,  13 

and  John  was  permitted  to  read  the  stirring  account  of 
the  action,  which  he  interpolated  with  comments  of  his 
own,  expressive  of  his  admiration  of  the  flag-officer  and 
the  blue-jackets  generally,  who  had  achieved  the  glori- 
ous victory. 

"  I  wish  I  had  been  there  !"  exclaimed  John,  when  he 
had  completed  the  reading  of  the  narrative.  "  How  I 
wish  I  had  been  there  !  " 

"  You  had  better  eat  yonr  supper  now,"  quietly  re- 
marked Mrs.  Somers,  who  did  not  seem  to  relish  the  turn 
which  the  conversation  had  taken. 

"  Here  I  am  rotting  on  the  stocks,  lying  round  like  a 
lubber,  when  the  ship's  in  a  gale  of  wind,"  said  John,  as 
he  stuffed  half  a  hot  biscuit  into  his  mouth,  apparently 
to  mollify  the  dissatisfaction  with  which  he  regarded  his 
position. 

"  Have  some  apple-sauce,  John?"  added  Mrs.  Somers. 

The  young  aspirant  for  distinction  took  some  apple- 
sauce, and  continued  to  eat,  for  a  few  moments,  with  a 
desperation  dangerous  to  the  well-being  of  the  digestive 
organs,  and  which  might  reasonably  have  awakened  a 
fear  in  the  mind  of  his  anxious  mother  that  he  would 
choke  himself  to  death,  instead  of  being  killed  by  a  splin- 
ter or  a  shell  on  board  a  man-of-war.  John  was  silent 
for  a  time  ;  but  he  kept  up  a  vigorous  thinking,  and  it  is 
doubtful  if  he  could  have  told  whether  he  was  eating  hot 
biscuit  or  "  salt  horse."  It  would  not  have  required  a 


14  THE    SAILOR    BOY;    OR, 

conjurer,  either,  to  tell  what  he  was  thinking  about  ;  and 
the  poor  mother,  Avith  her  husband  far  away  in  the  rebel 
country  (if,  indeed,  he  was  still  living),  and  one  son  ex- 
posed to  the  perils  of  battle  and  march,  walked  mechani- 
cally from  the  table  to  the  closet,  as  she  proceeded  to  clear 
off  the  table,  looking  as  sad  as  a  vision  of  sorrow ;  and 
it  needed  no  conjurer  to  tell  what  she  was  thinking,  about. 

She  was  a  patriotic  woman  ;  but  no  doubt  she  wished 
the  glowing  news  from  Port  Royal  had  never  reached  the 
ears  of  her  son.  She  had  endured  all  the  agonizing  sus- 
pense which  only  the  wife  of  an  absent  husband  and  the 
mother  of  an  absent  soldier-boy  can  comprehend  ;  and 
she  would  fain  keep  this  remaining  son  by  her  side  to 
su&tain  and  soothe  her  by  his  presence.  She  hoped  he 
was  not  needed  ;  she  tried  to  persuade  herself  that  John 
belonged  to  her,  now  that  his  twin-brother  had  joined  the 
army :  yet  the  New-England  blood  in  her  veins  would 
not  let  her  be  selfish,  if  the  country  needed  his  services. 

She  knew  what  John  was  thinking  about,  and  she 
knew  that  the  oft-repeated  question  was  about  to  be  pro- 
posed with  more  emphasis  than  ever  before  :  Would  she 
consent  to  his  entering  the  navy?  He  had  asked  her 
permission  twenty  times  during  the  summer  and  autumn, 
and  she  had  as  often  silenced  him  by  pointing  to  the 
work  required  to  be  done  upon  the  little  farm.  But  now 
the  corn  and  cabbages,  the  potatoes  and  the  apples,  had 
all  been  harvested,  and  she  could  no  longer  detain  him 


JACK    SOMERS    IN    TUE    NAVY.  15 

upon  the  plea  that  his  services  were  needed  at  home ;  for 
there  was  hardly  work  enough  about  the  place  to  give 
Grau'ther  Greene,  who  was  now  in  better  health  than 
usual,  the  exercise  which  was  needed  to  keep  him  alive. 

"  Mother,  aren't  you  ashamed  of  me  ?"  said  John,  sud- 
denly dropping  his  knife  and  biscuit,  and  looking  steadily 
at  Mrs.  Somers,  who  was  gathering  up  the  dishes  on  the 
other  side  of  the  table. 

"Ashamed  of  you,  my  son  ?  What  ails  the  boy  ?" 
exclaimed  she,  pausing  in  her  occupation,  and  gazing  at 
him  with  all  a  mother's  pride  visible  in  her  expression. 

"Aren't  you  ashamed  to  have  a  son  loafing  about  home 
when  the  navy  is  short  of  sailors?  I  can  hand,  reef,  and 
steer,  and  I  know  the  mainmast  from  the  jolly-boat.  I've 
been  one  voyage  with  father  in  a  square-rigged  vessel, 
and  two  in  a  '  fore-and-after.'  I  can  make  a  long  splice, 
a  short  splice,  an  eye-splice,  a  Turk's  head,  or  a  Jacob's 
ladder.  I  know  where  to  find  the  halyards  and  braces, 
the  clewlines,  buntlines,  and  bowlines.  I  know  all  about 
it,  mother.  Now,  aren't  you  ashamed  to  have  me  lub- 
bering  round  here  like  a  dandy  in  a  hay-field  ?  " 

"  No  :  I'm  sure  I  am  not,"  replied  Mrs.  Somers  with 
emphasis.  "  You  have  been  a  good  boy,  and  worked 
hard  all  summer." 

"  But  I  haven't  had  any  thing  to  do  for  a  week  but 
stow  my  grub  and  pick  my  teeth." 

"  It  won't  hurt  you  to  lie  still  for  a  week  or  two." 


16  THE    SAILOR    BOY;    OR, 

"  "Well,  mother,  I  want  to  go  into  the  navy ;  and  I 
think  I  shall  be  just  as  safe  there  as  I  shall  at  home,  and 
be  earning  something  all  the  time,  too." 

"  I  should  think  you'd  rather  be  at  home  than  off  to 
sea  this  winter.  Don't  you  hear  •  the  wind  howl  out- 
doors ?  " 

John  did  hear  the  wind  howl,  and  he  had  heard  it  be- 
fore, and  it  did  not  disturb  his  bright  vision  of  life  on  the 
wave :  on  the  contrary,  he  rather  liked  its  music.  He 
suggested,  in  reply,  that  the  coast  of  South  Carolina  or 
the  mouth  of  the  Mississippi  would  be  a  warmer  and 
pleasanter  place  to  spend  the  winter  than  the  cold  hills 
of  New  England.  While  they  were  debating  the  ques- 
tion, a  loud  knock  at  the  front  door  interrupted  the  dis- 
cussion ;  and  John  bolted  the  balance  of  his  supper,  while 
his  mother  went  to  answer  the  summons. 

"Does  Captain  Somers  live  here?"  inquired  a  fftmtle- 
man  at  the  do_or. 

"  Yes,  sir,  he  does  ;  but  he  is  away  from  home  now," 
replied  Mrs.  Somers.  "  Won't  you  walk  in,  sir?" 

"  Thank  you :  I  wish  to  see  his  son,  John  Somers," 
added  the  stranger,  as  he  followed  Mrs.  Somers  into  the 
little  front  parlor. 

"  Yes,  sir :  I'll  call  him,"  said  she,  as  she  glanced 
nervously  at  the  shoulder-straps  which  the  gentleman 
wore  ;  for  the  "foul  anchor"  on  them  indicated  that  he 
was  an  officer  in  the  navy. 


JACK    SOMERS    IN    THE  NAVY.  17 

Leaving  her  lamp  in  the  parlor,  she  returned  to  the 
kitchen,  where  John  had  just  swallowed  his  second  cup 
of  tea,  and  was  at  that  moment  thinking,  that,  on  board 
a  man-of-war,  he  should  drink  his  "  slops  "  out  of  a  tin 
cup,  and  not  indulge  in  the  luxury  of  plates,  knives,  and 
forks. 

"  There's  a  gentleman  wants  to  see  you,  John,"  said 
his  mother  ;  and  her  heart  was  full  of  misgivings,  and 
that  foul  anchor  still  haunted  her  imagination  ;  and  she 
could  not  persuade  herself  that  the  officer  had  not  come 
to  carry  off  her  boy,  and  ship  him  in  the  navy. 

"Wants  to  see  me?"  exclaimed  John,  who  was  not  in 
the  habit  of  receiving  many  visitors  through  the  front  door. 

"  Yes,  and  he  is  an  officer  in  the  navy." 

"  What  can  he  want  of  me  ?  "  ' 

"  Don't  you  know  who  he  is,  John?"  asked  the  anx- 
ious mother,  who  had  more  than  half  suspected  that  there 
was  a  plot  to  rob  her  of  her  remaining  son. 

"  I  don't ;  I  haven't  the  least  idea,  mother.' 

"  Well,  don't  keep  him  waiting,  John,  whatever  he 
wants  ;  but  I  hope  you  won't  do  any  thing  without  con- 
sulting me." 

"  Of  course  not,  mother,"  replied  John,  as  he  left  the 
room. 

Mrs.  Somers  sat  down  in  a  chair  near  the  parlor  door, 
and  tried  to  hear  what  the  stranger  said  ;  for  she  was  very 
nervous  and  uneasy.  She  could  not  make  out  what  the 


18  THE    SAILOR    BOY;    OR, 

gentleman  wanted :  so  she  concluded  that  the  small  lamp 
she  had  left  in  the  parlor  would  not  afford  sufficient  light 
on  the  subject  of  the  meeting ;  and  she  lighted  a  large 
kerosene  lamp,  and  carried  it  into  the  apartment  herself. 
The  conversation  did  not  seem  to  be  interrupted  by  her 
appearance  ;  and  she  therefore  concluded  that  the  officer 
andvher  son  were  not  engaged  in  any  plot  or  conspiracy 
against  the  peace  and  comfort  of  the  present  head  of  the 
Somers  Family. 

"  Madam,  perhaps  I  ought  to  speak  to  you  as  well  as 
to  your  son  about  the  object  of  my  visit,"  said  the  officer, 
as  Mrs.  Somers  deposited  the  lamp  on  the  mantel-piece. 

"  Well,  I  don't  know,  sir,"  replied  she,  fully  expect- 
ing to  hear  a  proposition  for  John  to  go  into  the  navy 
that  very  night. 

"Captain  Barney  sent  me  after  your -son,"  he  con- 
tinued. 

"  That  was  not  very  kind  of  Captain  Barney,"  thought 
the  poor  mother,  now  fully  convinced  that  John  was 
doomed  to  the  navy  ;  but  she  did  not  say  any  thing. 

"  I  reside  in  the  next  town  to  this,  and  am  at  home 
for  a  short  time  on  a  furlough.  My  father  was  suddenly 
taken  very  ill  this  forenoon  ;  and,  about  an  hour  ago,  the 
doctor  declared  he  could  not  live  till  to-morrow  morn- 
ing." 

"  I'm  very  sorry,"  said  Mrs.  Somers,  beginning  to  be 
deeply  interrested  in  the  sad  story  of  the  strapger  ;  "  and, 
if  I  can  do  any  thing  to  help  you,  I'll  go  right  over." 


JACK   SOMERS    IN    THE   NAVY.  19 

"  Thank  you  :  we  do  not  need  any  assistance  at  home. 
My  brother  is  a  captain  in  the  garrison  down  at  Fort 
Warren,  and  my  father  has  expressed  a  very  strong  de- 
sire to  see  him.  I  hastened  over  to  Pinchbrook  to  take 
the  cars  for  Boston  ;  but  I  -was  too  late.  All  I  could  do 
then  was  to  take  a  boat,  and  go  down  to  the  fort.  Cap- 
tain Barney,  who  is  a  friend  of  mine,  offered  to  let  me 
have  his  boat ;  but  I  don't  know  any  thing  about  Pinch- 
brook  Harbor,  and  must  have  a  skipper.  I  am  informed 
that  your  son  is  one  of  the  best  boatmen  in  the  place, 
and  knows  every  rock  and  shoal  in  the  bay." 

"  I  think  I  do,  sir,"  replied  John  quietly. 

"  But  it  is  an  awful  night  to  go  upon  the  water," 
added  Mrs.  Somers,  as  she  glanced  at  the  windows,  the 
loose  sashes  of  which  were  beating  a  tattoo  against  the 
frame. 

"I  know  it  is  a  bad  night,  Mrs.  Somers  ;  but  I  have 
been  afloat  in  many  a  worse  one.  It  is  not  a  pleasure 
excursion  ;  and  I  would  not  ask  such  a  favor  with  a  less 
reasonable  excuse  than  that  which  I  have  offered." 

"  John  knows  best  about  such  things  ;  and,  if  he  is 
willing  to  go,  I  shall  not  object,"  added  Mrs.  Somers. 

"  Of  course  I  am  willing  to  go,  mother.  But  you  are 
not  going  yourself,  are  you,  sir  ?  " 

"  I  feel  that  I  must." 

"  I  thought  you  would  want  to  go  back  to  your 
father." 


20  THE    SAILOR    BOY;    OR, 

"  I  do  ;  bnt  I  am  afraid  you  would  not  be  able  to  gain 
admission  to  the. fort  without  me." 

"  I  guess  they  would  let  me  in." 

"  I  am  afraid  not ;  and  if  my  brother  should  fail  to 
reach  home  in  time  to  see  my  father,  through  any  neglect 
of  mine,  I  should  never  cease  to  reproach  myself.  I  will 
go  with  you." 

"  Dress  yourself  warm,  John,  before  you  go  :  it  is  an 
awful  night  on  the  sea,"  added  his  mother. 

Leaving  Mrs.  Somers  with  the  stranger,  John  hastened 
to  put  on  his  "  sea  rig,"  and  in  a  few  moments  returned 
to  the  parlor,  with  an  oil-cloth  coat  on  his  arm,  and  a 
fisherman's  hat  in  his  hand. 

"All  ready,  sir,"  said  he. 

"Ay,  ay,  my  lad,"  replied  Lieutenant  Bankhead,  as  he 
rose,  and  bade  adieu  to  Mrs.  Somers. 

"  Now  be  careful,  John,"  added  Mrs.  Somers,  as  she 
followed  them  to  the  door. 

"  I'm  always  careful,  mother.  Don't  be  a  bit  scared 
about  me,"  replied  the  young  salt  confidently. 

"  I  wish  that  man  didn't  belong  to  the  navy,"  said 
Mrs.  Somers  to  herself  as  she  closed  the  door :  "  he 
will  be  certain  to  fill  the  boy's  head  full  of  notions 
afore  he  gits  back,  and  he'll  be  more'n  ever  for  going. 
Well,  well,  it  can't  be  helped.  I  hope  the  poor  soldier 
will  see  his  father  afore  it's  too  late  ; "  and  she  resumed 
her  household  duties  in  the  kitchen. 


JACK  soarvRs  IN  THE  NAVY.  21 


CHAPTEK    II. 

THE   DASHAWAY   IN   A   NOVEMBER   GALE. 

'OHN  SOMERS  had  been  as  uneasy  as  a  fish 
out  of  water  ever  since  his  brother  went  into  the 
army ;  an  event  which  had  occurred  the  preced- 
ing spring.  He  was  quite  as  patriotic  as  Thomas, 
and  was  just  as  desirous  of  doing  something  to  help  his 
struggling  country  in  the  hour  of  her  peril.  His  tastes 
were  for  the  sea  ;  though  he  would  rather  have  joined  the 
army  than  not  had  a  part  in  the  glorious  work  of  putting 
down  the  Rebellion.  But  his  mother  had  steadily  resisted 
his  importunity,  and  the  month  of  November  found  him 
still  at  home,  an  unwilling  resident  beneath  the  parental 
roof,  discontented  and  unhappy  even  in  the  midst  of  those 
hallowed  associations  which  make  home  the  dearest  spot 
on  earth. 

If  the  summoning  voice  of  his  country  was  powerful, 
the  gentle  tones  of  his  mother  were  more  potent.  Though 
he  did  not  reason  and  philosophize  on  the  subject,  he  felt 
that  his  mother  was  nearer  to  him  than  his  country  ;  yet 


22  THE    SAILOR    EOT;    OR, 

he  hoped  that  she  would  yet  give  her  consent  to  his  going 
into  the  navy. 

Pinchbrook  was  situated  a  few  miles  from  Boston  ;  and 
its  port,  which  was  dignified  by  the  title  of  Pinchbrook 
Harbor,  was  located  upon  one  of  the  arms  of  the  sea 
connected  with  Boston  Bay.  It  was  a  thriving  little 
place ;  and,  during  the  summer,  John,  besides  taking 
care  of  his  father's  little  farm,  had  contrived  to  earn  a 
few  dollars  by  doing  odd  jobs  in  the  village,  and  espe- 
cially by  acting  as  skipper,  cook,  or  foremast-hand,  on 
board  the  sail-boats  and  yachts  of  the  place.  He  was  a 
skilful  boatman,  and  was  thoroughly  proficient  in  the 
science  of  nautical  cooking.  His  chowders,  fries,  and 
battered-clams  were  entirely  unexceptionable ;  and,  at  a 
pinch,  he  could  bake  a  bluefish  or  make  a  batch  of  bis- 
cuit. 

But  John  was  not  satisfied  with  his  achievements  at 
Pinchbrook  Harbor  and  in  the  bay,  nor  with  the  pro- 
ceeds of  his  labors.  His  wages  in  the  navy,  not  to  men' 
tion  sundry  huge  expectations  which  he  entertained  of 
pocketing  some  enormously  large  dividends  of  prize- 
money,  would  yield  a  far  better  return  for  his  labor.  He 
was  satisfied  that  he  could  do  more  for  the  support  of  the 
family  away  from  home  than  he  could  by  "  loafing  about 
Pinchbrook,"  as  he  modestly  designated  his  humble  oper- 
ations ;  and,  when  he  left  the  cottage  with  Lieutenant 
Bankhead,  he  fully  believed  that  the  something  had 


JACK    SO  ME  BS    IN    THE    NAVY.  23 

turned  up  for  which  he  had  so  impatiently  waited  for 
months. 

To  make  the  acquaintance  of  a  lieutenant  in  the  navy 
was  a  piece  of  good  fortune  which  he  had  not  anticipated, 
and  he  was  convinced  that  he  should  make  a  favorable 
impression  upon  the  mind  of  his  passenger  before  they 
returned  from  the  fort.  It  was,  as  his  mother  had  re- 
marked, an  awful  night  to  go  upon  the  sea ;  but  he  had 
weathered  some  heavy  gales  in  a  fore-and-aft  schooner, 
and  he  was  satisfied  that  he  could  keep  Captain  Barney's 
little  yacht  right  side  up  in  any  thing  short  of  a  West- 
India  hurricane. 

As  they  walked  down  to  the  harbor,  Lieutenant  Bank- 
head  questioned  his  young  skipper  in  regard  to  the  boat 
in  which  they  were  to  venture  upon  the  stormy  bay,  and 
the  dangers  they  would  encounter  on  the  passage.  These 
inquiries,  however,  were  only  intended  to  "  bring  out " 
the  young  salt,  and  develop  his  knowledge  of  the  business 
he  had  undertaken.  His  replies  were  so  satisfactory,  that 
the  officer  soon  became  as  confident  as  his  skipper ;  and, 
moreover,  he  began  to  entertain  a  very  high  respect  for 
the  character  and  ability  of  his  new  companion. 

"  You'll  do,  Jack,"  said  Mr.  Bankhead,  after  he  had 
fully  tested  the  knowledge  of  the  boy,  and  the  peculiar 
seamanship  necessary  for  the  safe  management  of  a  sail- 
boat ;  "  you'll  do.  I  can  handle  a  ship  :  but  I  never 
attempted  to  work  a  boat  under  sail ;  that  is,  I  never 


24  THE    SAILOR    BOY;    OR, 

made  a  business  of  it.  If  you  put  me  through  all  right, 
I'll  give  you  a  ten-dollar  bill,  and  be  much  obliged  to  you 
besides." 

"•  I'll  do  the  best  I  can  ;  but  it  blows  pretty  heavy,  and 
there's  an  ugly  sea  running." 

"  I  know  it,  my  boy  ;  and  so  much  the  more  credit  to 
you  if  you  take  me  through  handsomely." 

"  I  don't  think  there'll  be  any  trouble  about  it,  sir. 
Captain  Barney's  boat's  as  stiff  as  oak  and  iron  can 
make  her,  and  she  works  like  a.  lady  in  a  sea.  Here  is 
the  wharf.  I  don't  know  your  name,  sir." 

"  Lieutenant  Bankhead,  of  the  navy.  Yours  is  Jack 
Somers  ;  at  least,  everybody  calls  you  so." 

"  Yes,  sir ;  and  it's  a  good  name  enough  for  me.  I 
wish  it  was  written  on  the  shipping-papers  in  the  navy." 

"  Perhaps  it  may  be  yet.  We  want  all  the  likely  lads 
of  your  build  and  spirit  that  we  can  get." 

"  I  should  like  to  go  in,"  added  Jack,  as  he  cast  off 
the  painter  of  a  small  dory,  in  which  they  were  to  pull 
out  to  the  moorings  of  the  sail-boat. 

"  Why  don't  you,  then?" 

"  My  mother  don't  want  me  to  leave  home.  If  you 
will  step  into  this  dory,  sir,  I  will  pull  you  off  to  the 
Dashaway." 

"  Dashaway !  is  that  the  name  of  the  captain's  boat?" 

"  Yes,  sir  :  he  christened  her  himself." 

"  Well,  it's  a  smashing  name.    By  the  by,  I  will  speak 


JACK    SOMERS    IN    THE    NAVY  25 

to  your  mother  about  your  going  into  the  navy,  if  you 
wish,"  added  Mr.  Bankhead,  as  he  stepped  into  the  dory, 
aud  seated  himself  at  the  stern. 

"  Thank  you,  sir ;  but  I  don't  think  she  will  let  me 
go." 

"  Perhaps  she  will.  I  am  ordered  to  the  Harrisburg, 
and  very  likely  I  can  induce  your  mother  to  let  you  ship 
in  her.  "Well,  this  comes  heavy,"  added  Mr.  Bankhead, 
as  a  wave  dashed  its  spray  all  over  him. 

But  the  passage  from  the  wharf  to  the  Dashaway  oc- 
cupied but  a  few  moments :  and  John  •  soon  placed  his 
passenger  upon  the  half-deck  ;  and,  after  making  fast  the 
dory  to  the  moorings,  he  joined  him.  The  skipper  opened 
the  cuddy,  which  was  large  enough  to  contain  two  berths 
and  other  conveniences,  and  invited  him  to  enter,  and 
thus  protect  himself  from  the  cold  wind  and  the  dashing 
spray :  but  Mr.  Bdnkhead  was  too  much  of  a  sailor  to 
shun  his  own  peculiar  element ;  and,  enveloping  himself 
in  a  heavy  pea-jacket  he  found  in  the  cuddy,  he  offered 
his  services  to  assist  in  getting  the  boat  under  way. 

"  You  are  the  skipper,  Jack,  and  I  will  obey  your 
orders,"  said  he.  "  What  "shall  I  do  ?  " 

"  You  may  knot  these  reef-points  in  the  foresail,  if  you 
please,  sir,  and  I  will  put  a  couple  of  reefs  in  the  main- 
sail. It  will  help  us  get  off  the  quicker." 

"  But  you  don't  intend  to  carry  a  reefed  foresail  and  a 
reefed  mainsail,  do  you  ?  "  asked  the  officer. 


26  THE    SAILOR    BOY,    OR, 

"No,  sir:  we  will  try  it  under  jib,  and  mainsail  with 
two  reefs.  I  think  she  will  carry  it ;  but,  if  she  won't, 
we  shall  be  all  ready  to  put  her  under  a  reefed  foresail." 

"  Just  so  ;  I  understand  you  ;  and  your  calculation  is 
a  very  good  one." 

In  a  few  moments  these  preparations  were  completed, 
and  the  mainsail  was  hoisted.  The  wind  blew  even 
fresher  than  John  had  supposed ;  but  he  still  believed 
that  the  Dashaway  would  carry  her  jib  and  double-reefed 
mainsail. 

"  Now,  sir,  if  you  will  stand  by  the  helm,  I  Avill  let  go 
the  moorings,  and  hoist  the  jib,"  said  the  skipper,  when 
every  thing  was  in  readiness  for  a  start. 

"Ay,  ay,  my  lad.     The  jib-sheet  leads  aft,  don't  it?" 

"  Yes,  sir." 

John  then  cast  off  the  moorings,  and,  seizing  the  hal- 
yard, ran  up  the  jib  in  the  twinkling  of  an  eye.  Mr. 
Bankhead  then  made  fast  the  sheets,  and  the  Dashaway, 
catching  a  heavy  flaw,  heeled  over  till  her  washboard 
was  nearly  submerged,  —  an  antic  which  caused  the  lieu- 
tenant at  the  helm  to  cast  loose  the  maiusheet,  under  the 
impression  that  she  was  going  over. 

"  She  can  stand  it,  sir,"  shouted  John,  as  he  hauled  in 
the  sheet  again,  and  took  his  place  at  the  helm. 

"  She  makes  cantering  work  of  it,  anyhow,"  added 
Mr.  Bankhead,  whose  nerves  were  somewhat  shaken  by 
the  heeling-over  of  the  boat. 


JACK   SOMERS   IN    THE   NAVY.  27 

"  She's  good  for  a  bigger  blow  than  this.  Now,  if  you 
will  take  a  seat  on  the  weather-side,  or  lie  down  in  the 
cuddy,  we  shall  soon  get  our  bearings.  There,  sir,  she 
jumps  over  the  waves  like  a  feather." 

Captain  Barney  was  too  much  of  a  sailor  himself  to 
own  any  other  than  a  stiff,  weatherly  boat ;  and  such  was 
eminently  the  character  of  the  Dashaway.  She  breasted 
the  big  waves  like  a  mass  of  solid  oak';  and  though  the 
spray  dashed  furiously  over  her,  as  she  leaped  .over  the 
angry  billows,  John  Somers  felt  as '  safe  in  her  as  he 
would  in  the  kitchen  of  his  mother's  cottage.  The  wind 
was  east,  and  the  sky  overcast,  which  made  the  night 
exceedingly  gloomy  and  dark.  The  intrepid  young  skip- 
per could  only  discern  the  sombre  outlines  of  the  islands 
and  the  headlands  of  the  main  shore  ;  but  these  were  suffi- 
cient to  enable  him  to  lay  his  course. 

Lieutenant  Bankhead,  though  an  older  and  perhaps  a 
better  sailor,  did  not  feel  so  much  confidence  in  the 
weatherly  qualities  of  the  Dashaway.  He  was  accus- 
tomed to  large  vessels,  and  he  could  not  help  realizing 
that  his  life  was  in  the  keeping  of  the  bold  youth  at  the 
helm.  He  was  silent  and  thoughtful.  His  father  was 
dying  at  home ;  and,  without  this  solemn  fact,  a  man 
with  a  soul  could  not  but  be  impressed  and  awed  by  the 
wild  war  of  the  elements,  within  the  circle  of  whose  con- 
tending forces  the  little  bark  that  bore  him  on  his  mission 
of  parental  affection  was  struggling  on  her  course. 


28  THE    SAILOR    BOY;    OB, 

He  was  silent  and  anxious ;  and  John,  fully  alive  to 
the  responsibility  which  rested  upon  him,  was  too  busy 
and  too  earnest  to  talk.  The  roaring  of  the  wind,  the 
surging  of  the  waves,  and  the  thumping  of  the  boat 
against  the  sturdy  sea,  were  the  only  sounds  to  be  heard  ; 
and  they  were  enough  to  occupy  the  whole  mind  of  a 
thinking  being,  and  idle  words  seemed  to  be  an  insult  to 
the  majesty  of  the  storm. 

On  flew  the  Dashaway,  till  the  dark  form  of  Fort 
Warren  appeared  like  a  gloomy  shadow  upon  the  eastern 
sky.  They  were  soon  sheltered  from  the  fierceness  of 
the  blast  by  the  high  walls  of  the  fortification,  and  the 
boat  came  into  comparatively  still  water.  The  spell 
seemed  to  be  broken  ;  and  the  lieutenant,  who  had  hardly 
spoken  a  word  since  the  boat  got  under  way,  uttered 
some  hearty  commendations  of  the  skill  of  the  boatman. 

By  the  exercise  of  the  same  good  judgment  which  had 
enabled  him  to  bring  his  little  craft  in  safety  through  the 
darkness  and  the  storm  to  her  destination,  John,  with 
the  assistance  of  his  passenger,  laid  her  alongside  the 
wharf  which  forms  the  only  landing-place  at  the  island. 
Here,  as  Mr.  Bankhead  had  anticipated,  a  serious  diffi- 
culty presented  itself.  The  fort  was  at  that  time,  as  it  is 
at  present,  used  as  a  place  of  confinement  for  political 
prisoners.  Messrs.  Mason  and  Slidell  had  just  been 
placed  within  its  strong  walls,  to  meditate  upon  the  folly 
and  crime  of  rebellion  against  the  best  government  on 


JACK    SOMERS    IN    THE    NAVY.  29 

earth ;  and  the  military  regulations,  which  excluded  the 
curious  and  the  lawless,  were  necessarily  very  stringent. 

"Keep  off,  keep  off!"  shouted  the  sentinel  on  the 
wharf,  as  the  boat  rounded  up  by  the  pier,  —  "  keep  off,, 
or  I'll  lire  into  you  !  " 

"  I  am  Lieutenant  Bankhead,  of  the  United-States 
Navy  ;  and  I  come  on  business  of  pressing  importance." 

"  Show  your  pass,"  replied  the  guard  hoarsely. 

"  I  have  no  pass." 

"  Keep  off,  then,  or  I  will  fire  !  My  orders  are  very 
strict." 

"Will  you  pass  the  word  for  the  officer  of  the  guard?" 

"  I  can't  do  it.     Keep  off,  or  I  must  fire  !  " 

"  One  word,  and  I  will  go.  Who  is  officer  of  the 
day  ?  "  demanded  the  lieutenant. 

"  Captain  Bankhead." 

"  He  is  my  brother.  His  father  is  dying.  You  can 
put  the  boatman  and  myself  under  guard."  » 

This  statement  seemed  to  produce  an  effect  upon  the 
sentinel,  and  he  ordered  both  John  and  his  passenger  to 
come  upon  the  wharf.  The  corporal  of  the  guard  was 
sent  for,  and  soon  appeared  with  a  lantern  in  his  hand, 
which  enabled  him  to  see  the  shoulder-straps  of  Mr. 
Bankhead.  He  directed  them  to  get  into  the  boat  again, 
while  he  despatched  a  man  for  Captain  Bankhead.  It 
was  some  time  before  the  latter  appeared  ;  and  then  half 


30  THE    SAILOR    BOY;    OR, 

I 

an  hour  was  consumed  in  seeing  the  commandant  of  the 
fort  and  obtaining  the  necessary  furlough. 

It  was  after  ten  o'clock  when  the  two  brothers  were 
embarked  on  the  Dashaway  for  the  return  trip.  If  there 
was  any  change  in  the  weather,  it  was  for  the  worse. 
The  rain  had  begun  to  fall,  and  the  gale  had  not  decreased 
in  violence. 

"  Now,  rny  lad,  you  have  two  lives  besides  your  own, 
instead  of  one,  in  your  keeping,  and  you  must  have  a 
sharp  eye  to  windward,"  said  Lieutenant  Bankhead. 

"  I  shall  do  the  best  I  know  how.  We  will  run  up 
under  the  reefed  foresail ;  but  a  small  boat  going  before 
the  wind  makes  worse  weather  than  on  any  other  tack. 
She  will  shake  you  up  a  good  deal ;  but  she  will  land 
you  at  Pinchbrook  Harbor  in  two  hours  from  now,  if 
nothing  happens,"  added  John,  as  he  cast  off  the  painter, 
and  pushed  off  from  the  wharf. 

"This  is  an  awful  night,"  said  Captain  Bankhead, 
who,  being  no  sailor,  began  to  be  filled  with  doubts 
and  fears  as  the  Dashaway  leaped  forward  upon  her 
course. 

But,  notwithstanding  the  doubts  of  the  sailor  and  the 
fears  of  the  soldier,  the  brave  little  bark  bore  them  safely 
over  the  stormy  waves,  till  in  mid-channel,  just  below 
Fort  Independence,  a  dark  object  on  the  water,  dead 
ahead,  attracted  the  attention  of  the  watchful  skipper. 

"  Sail  ahead  !  "  said  Lieutenant  Baukhead. 


JACK    SOMEItS    IN    THE    NAVY.  31 

"  I  see  it,  sir." 

"  I  will  go  forward,  and  see  how  she  heads." 
The  naval  officer  went  out  to  the  heel  of  the  bowsprit 
to  determine  the  course  of  the  approaching  vessel. 
"  Steady,"  said  he. 
"  Steady,"  replied  John. 


32  THE    SAILOR    L  0  Y ;    OK, 


CHAPTER   III. 

THE    SAILOR   AND    THE    SOLDIER. 

'HE  approaching  vessel,  which  appeared  to  be  a 
pilot-boat,  was  close-hauled,  and  was  beating 
down  the  harbor.  Her  course,  at  the  time  she 
was  discovered  on  board  the  Dashaway,  was  at  a 
sharp  angle  across  that  of  the  little  schooner.  She  was 
going  off  on  the  port  side  of  the  Dashaway ;  and  all  dan- 
ger of  a  collision  seemed  to  be  over,  though  Lieutenant 
Bankhead  still  retained  his  position  on  the  forecastle. 

"  Hard  a-port  the  helm ! "  shouted  the  naval  officer 
suddenly  :  "  she  is  going  in  stays  !  " 

"  Hard  a-port  it  is  !  "  replied  John  promptly,  as  he  put 
the  tiller  in  the  direction  indicated. 

"  Keep  her  away,  keep  her  away !  Up  with  your 
helm ! "  screamed  Mr.  Bankhead,  as  the  stranger  came 
about,  with  her  sharp  bows  close  aboard  of  the  Dasha- 
way. 

John  had  obeyed  the  order  of  the  lieutenant :  but,  at 
the  instant  lie  did  so,  he  realized  that  it  was  a  mistake, 
which,  if  executed,  would  be  likely  to  swamp  the  boat ; 


JACK    SOMEBS    IN    THE   NAVY.  33 

and,  the  moment  the  foresail  began  to  shake,  he  jammed 
the  helm  hard  down,  at  the  same  time  hauling  on  the 
fore-sheet,  thus  bringing  her  up  to  the  wind.  The  Dash- 
away  began  to  draw  again,  and  swept  round  in  a  graceful 
curve  :  but  the  stranger  was  upon  them  ;  and,  to  the  eye 
of  the  officer  at  the  heel  of  the  bowsprit,  a  collision  Avas 
inevitable. 

"  Jump  for  your  lives ! "  shouted  he,  as  he  sprang 
from  the  forecastle  of  the  Dashaway,  intending  to  grasp 
the  bob-stay  of  the  pilot-boat ;  but  he  missed  his  mark, 
and  went  into  the  water. 

Captain  Bankhead  was  about  to  follow  the  example  of 
his  brother,  and  save  himself  from  the  impending  wreck 
of  the  Dashaway. 

"  Stay  where  you  are  !  "  exclaimed  John,  seizing  him 
by  the  arm,  as  the  Dashaway  swept  round,  barely  grazing 
the  bows  of  the  stranger.  "  We  are  safe  !  " 

"  But  my  brother  is  lost !  "  replied  he  in  an  agony  of 
suspense. 

"  He  leaped  aboard  the  vessel." 

"  No  :  he  fell  into  the  water,"  gasped  the  captain. 

The  pilot-boat  had  swept  by  on  her  course  ;  but,  on 
discovering  the  accident,  she  came  up  with  the  wind. 

•'  Boat  ahoy  !  "  cried  a  voice  from  the  rolling  waves. 

John  put  the  Dashaway  about,  and  came  up  again 
before  the  wind,  heading  for  the  spot,  as  nearly  as  he 
could  judge, whence  the  sound  proceeded. 


34  THE    SAILOR    BOY;    OS, 

"  Go  forward,  and  haul  him  in,  if  you  see  him  !  "  said 
John,  sharply,  to  the  soldier. 

"  Boat  ahoy  !  "  again  cried  the  lieutenant. 

u  I  hear  him  !  "  replied  the  captain,  as  he  sprang  for- 
ward. "I  see  him  !  " 

A  huge  wave  bore  the  struggling  sailor  upon  its  crest, 
and  his  brother  attempted  to  grasp  his  extended  hand; 
but  the  boat  swayed  off,  placing  him  out  of  reach  of  the 
willing  soldier.  But,  fortunately,  John  saw  the  poor  fel- 
low, as  the  wave  lifted  him  up  ;  and,  putting  the  helm 
down,  he  rushed  to  the  side,  and  succeeded  in  grasping 
the  lieutenant  by  the  arm.  With  the  aid  of  the  brother, 
he  was  hauled  on  board,  nearly  exhausted  by  his  struggles 
with  the  augiy  billows. 

John  sprang  to  the  helm  again  ;  for  the  boat  had  nearly 
swamped  by  getting  into  the  trough  of  the  sea.  Without 
loss  of  time,  he  put  her  upon  her  course  again.  The 
Dashaway  had  shipped  a  great  deal  of  water ;  and  the 
young  skipper,  without  regarding  the  dignity  of  his  pas- 
sengers, ordered  the  captain  to  take  the  bucket,  and  bale 
out  the  standing-room. 

"  Do  it,  Fred,"  said  the  lieutenant.  "  I  can  take  care 
of  myself  now." 

"We  are  all  right  now.  How  do  you  feel?"  asked 
John  of  the  sailor. 

"  I  am  almost  used  up  ;  but  I  shall  be  better  in  a  few 
moments,"  he  answered  feebly. 


JACK    SOMERS    IN    THE    NA  V Y.  35 

In  a  short  time  he  had  recovered  his  breath,  and  was 
able  to  assist  the  soldier  in  the  labor  of  clearing  the 
standing-room  of  the  water.  When  this  work  was  com- 
pleted, the  boat  rode  easier  over  the  seas,  and  confidence 
was  in  a  measure  restored  in  the  minds  of  the  passengers, 
who  had  seated  themselves  by  the  side  of  the  skipper. 

"  I  have  been  overboard  twice  before  ;  but  I  was  never 
so  near  being  drowned  as  I  have  been  to-night.  My  lad, 
you  have  saved  my  life,  and  I  shall  never  forget  it  as 
long  as  I  live,"  said  Lieutenant  Baukhead. 

"  I  did  the  best  I  could  for  you,  and  I  am  sorry  you 
had  such  hard  luck." 

"If  it  had  been  I,  that  would  have  been  the  end  of 
me,"  added  Captain  Bankhead :  "I  should  have  gone  to 
the  bottom  like  a  stone." 

"  So  should  I,  if  Jack  hadn't  hauled  me  in  just  as  he 
did.  My  wind  was  about  gone,  and  I  should  have  given 
up  in  half  a  minute  more.  Fred,  do  you  know  that 
minutes  seem  like  years  when  a  man  is  overboard  in 
a  heavy  sea  ?  " 

"  I  never  tried  it." 

"  When  you  missed  your  grasp,  I  gave  up  for  lost ;  for 
I  knew  I  couldn't  hold  out  till  the  boat  went  round  and 
came  up  again.  Jack,  you  are  the  pluckiest  little  fellow 
I  ever  saw  in  my  life." 

"  I  tried  to  do  what  I  could,"  replied  John  modestly. 

"  No  one  could  have  done  more  or  better  ;  but,  my 


36  THE    SAILOR    BOY;    OR, 

lad,  why  didn't  you  put  the  helm  hard  a-port,  as  I  told 
you  ?  " 

"  It  would  have  gybed  the  boat,  and  she  would  have 
filled  and  gone  down  if  I  had." 

"  Perhaps  you  are  right.  You  know  your  boat  better 
than  I  do." 

"  Besides,  I  was  satisfied  she  would  go  clear  if  I 
brought  her  up  to  the  wind,"  added  John.  "  If  you  had 
stuck  by  the  Dashaway,  you  would  have  been  all  right." 

"  But  I  was  sure  the  schooner  would  come  aboard  of 
us." 

"  It  was  a  close  shave :  we  only  escaped  by  the  skin 
of  our  teeth.  I  wouldn't  try  it  again  for  a  hundred  dol- 
lars." •* 

"  I  wouldn't  for  a  thousand." 

"We  may  well  thank  God  that  we  are  still  alive," 
said  the  captain. 

"With  all  my  heart  I  do  thank  him,"  replied  the 
sailor  reverently.  "  I  shudder  when  I  think  of  our  poor 
mother :  what  a  blow  it  would  have  been  to  her  in  the 
midst  of  her  woe  if  only  one  of  us  had  returned  to  close 
the  eyes  of  our  dying  father  ! " 

The  brothers  were  silent  during  the  rest  of  the  passage  ; 
for  thoughts  too  solemn  and  holy  for  utterance  were  stir- 
ring their  souls.  Without  further  incident  or  accident, 
the  Dashaway  reached  her  moorings.  Lieutenant  Bank- 
head  assisted  John  in  making  all  snug  on  board  of  her, 
after  which  they  pulled  ashore  in  the  dory. 


JACK    SOMERS    IN    THE   NAVY.  37 

"  I  never  was  so  glad  to  set  my  foot  on  land  before," 
said  Captain  Bankhead,  as  he  stepped  upon  the  wharf. 
"  I  am  half  frozen,  as  well  as  frightened  out  of  my  wits." 

u  I  don't  feel  very  comfortable  ;  but  we  have  no  time 
to  spare." 

"  I  suppose  not :  it  must  be  two  o'clock  in  the  morn- 
ing," added  the  captain,  whose  teeth  were  chattering  with 
the  cold. 

As  they  walked  up  from  the  wharf,  they  discovered  a 
person  approaching  them.  It  was  Captain  Barney,  at 
whose  stable  Lieutenant  Bankhead  had  left  his  horse. 
He  had  been  anxiously  awaiting  the  return  of  the  boat ; 
for  the  howling  wind  and  the  cutting  rain  had  raised 
some  doubts  in  his  mind  concerning  the  prudence  of  his 
action  in  permitting  Mr.  Bankhead  and  John  to  venture 
upon  the  bay  on  such  a  night.  He  had  not  expected  to 
see  them  yet,  and  was  merely  walking  down  to  the  wharf 
to  take  an  old  sailor's  glance  at  the  sea  and  the  weather. 

"Is  that  you,  Jack  Somers?"  said  he,  as  he  ap- 
proached the  party ;  for  it  was  too  dark  to  make  them 
out  with  his  eye. 

"  Yes,  sir :  we  have  come  back  safe  and  sound,"  re- 
plied the  young  skipper,  proud  and  happy  that  he  had 
succeeded  in  executing  the  duty  imposed  upon  him. 

"  I  am  glad  to  see  you,  Bankhe'ad  ;  for  I've  been  wor- 
rying about  you.  It  has  blowed  heavy  ever  since  you 
went  away,  and  I  began  to  be  afraid  that  I  had  made  a 


38  THE    SAILOR    BOY;    OR, 

mistake  in  letting  you  go.  Well,  I  see  there  are  three 
of  you :  so  I  suppose  you  found  your  brother." 

"Yes,  sir,  —  Captain  Barney,  my  brother,"  added  the 
lieutenant,  introducing  the  parties,  who  were  strangers  to 
each  other. 

"Happy  to  know  you,"  replied  the  old  gentleman. 
"  You  are  not  a  sailor,  and  I  suppose  you  don't  take  this 
kind  of  a  night  as  kindly  as  your  brother." 

"  It's  a  terrible  night  to  go  to  sea,  and  I'm  thankful  to 
be  once  more  on  the  solid  earth." 

"So -am  I,"  added  Lieutenant  Baukhead.  "But,  cap- 
tain, we  have  no  time  to  lose." 

"  Come  into  the  house  and  warm  you,  while  I  get  your 
horse  ready,"  said  Captain  Barney,  as  they  reached  the 
hospitable  mansion  of  the  old  shipmaster. 

John  volunteered  to  get  the  horse  ;  and  the  two  officers 
went  into  the  house,  where  their  kind  host  insisted  upon 
providing  them  with  dry  clothing.  By  the  time  the  horse 
was  ready,  they  had  not  only  put  on  dry  garments,  but 
they  had  related  the  history  of  their  perilous  cruise,  and 
given  John  Somers  the  highest  commendation  for  the 
skill,  coolness,  and  energy  with  which  he  had  discharged 
his  duty. 

"  He  saved  my  life,  and  I  shall  never  forget  him,"  said 
Lieutenant  Bankhead  in  conclusion. 

"  He's  a  smart  fellow,"  added  Captain  Barney. 

"  He  wants  to  go  into  the  navy :  and,  if  I  can  have  any 


JACK    SOMERS    7JV    THE    NAVY.  39 

influence  with  his  mother,  he  shall  go  ;  for  we  want  as 
many  such  fellows  as  we  can  get." 

The  two  brothers  shook  hands  with  Captain  Barney 
and  John,  and  the  lieutenant  promised  to  visit  Finch- 
brook  again  as  soon  as  he  could.  Though  it  was  only 
half-past  twelve  o'clock,  instead  of  two,  the  sad  mission 
which  had  induced  him  to  venture  upon  the  water  ia 
such  a  night  urged  him  to  the  utmost  haste,  and  he 
drove  off  at  a  rapid  pace. 

"  Jack,  you  are  a  smart  boy ! "  said  the  captain 
bluntly,  as  the  vehicle  disappeared  in  the  gloom.  "  You 
have  done  a  big  thing  to-night,  and  it  may  be  the  making 
of  you.  Come  into  the  house  and  warm  yourself  now. 
I've  got  some  hot  coffee  and  a  lunch  on  the  table." 

"  Thank  you,  sir  ;  but  mother  will  be  worrying  about 
me,  and  I  think  I  had  better  go  home  as  soon  as  I  can." 

"  That's  right,  Jack :  you  are  a  good  boy.  Always 
look  out  for  your  mother.  But  you  must  have  a  cup  of 
coffee  and  a  bite  before  you  go." 

The  old  gentleman  insisted ;  and  John  concluded  that 
the  coffee  and  eatables  would  enable  him  to  walk  enough 
faster  to  make  up  for  lost  time  :  so  he  followed  Captain 
Barney  into  the  house,  and  consumed  a  marvellously 
large  quantity  of  bread  and  ham  in  a  marvellously  short 
space  of  time,  very  much  to  his  own  satisfaction,  and 
not  less  to  that  of  his  bountiful  host. 

'Jack!"  said  Captain  Barney,  who  sat  in  his  arm- 
chair, watching  the  busy  jaws  of  his  young  friend. 


40  ,.          THE    SAILOR    BOY;    OR, 

"  Sir,"  replied  he,  not  in  a  very  clear  tone  ;  for  his 
mouth  was  too  full  for  a  favorable  exhibition  of  the  hu- 
man voice. 

"  You  have  made  a  good  friend  to-night." 

'•'  Yes,  sir  ;  but  I  only  did  my  duty." 

"  Did  your  duty,  you  dog  !  "  roared  the  captain,  laugh- 
ing heartily.  "  That's  just  what  I've  been  saying.  It's 
every  man's  duty  to  do  the  best  he  can,  blow  high  or 
blow 'low;  but  blow  me,  Jack,  if  there's  one  man  in  a 
thousand  that  does  it.  Why,  Jack,  if  every  man  did  his 
duty,  Ave  should  all  be  angels,  and  every  rogue  would  be 
fit  to  make  a  parson  of." 

"  I  couldn't  do  any  less  than  I  did  ;  but  I  thought  the 
lieutenant  had  piped  down  for  the  last  time  when  I  saw 
him  go  overboard,"  replied  the  happy  boy,  as  he  finished 
his  lunch.  "Now  I  must  go  home,  sir.  I  will  come 
down  in  the  morning,  and  put  the  boat  in  order." 

"  Well,  go  home,  Jack,  and  quiet  your  mother ;  and 
within  a  month  you  Avill  be  a  reefer  on  board  a  man-of- 
war.  Good-night,  Jack." 

"  Good-night,  sir." 

John  walked  home  as  fast  as  his  legs  would  cany  him  ; 
for  he  knew  his  mother  was  worrying  about  him,  and 
would  not  go  to  bed  till  he  returned.  I  need  not  tell  my 
readers  how  gladly  she  welcomed  him  home  after  the 
dangers  through  which  he  had  passed,  nor  with  what  a 
motherly  interest  she  listened  to  the  story  of  the  cruiso, 


JACK    SOMERS    IN    THE    ARMY.  41 

nor  record  the  exclamations  of  wonder  and  alarm  with 
which  she  interlarded  the  exciting  narrative.  But,  before 
two  o'clock,  John  was  sound  asleep,  dreaming  of  batteries 
and  broadsides,  bobstays  and  bowlines,  great  guns,  cut- 
lasses, and  boarding-pikes. 


THE    SAILOR    BOY;    OR, 


CHAPTER    IV. 

THE    NAVAL,    RENDEZVOUS. 

BOUT  a  week  after  the  events  recorded  in  the 
preceding  chapters,  Lieutenant  Baukhead  paid 
another  visit  to  Pinchbrook ;  but  the  way  had 
already  been  prepared  for  him.  Mrs.  Somers, 
finding  that  she  should  •  be  compelled  to  yield  to  the  tre- 
mendous pressure  which  would  be  brought  to  bear  upon 
her,  had  already  decided  to  yield  gracefully  and  without 
a  struggle.  Captain  Barney  had  used  his  eloquence  to 
some  purpose  ;  but  the  strong  desire  of  John  to  serve  his 
country  was  the  most  powerful  influence  acting  upon  her 
mind. 

On  the  morning  after  the  captain's  visit,  John  was 
somewhat  surprised  to  hear  her  open  the  subject  herself, 
without  any  prompting  on  his  part. 

"  I  have  been  thinking  about  your  going  into  the  navy, 
John,  ever  since  I  waked  up  this  morning." 

"Have  you?  Well,  what  do  you  think  about  it, 
mother?"  replied  John. 

"  I  have  come  to  the  conclusion  that  you  had  better  go, 
if  you  want  to." 


JACK    SOMERS    IN    THE    NAVY.  43 

"  Of  course,  I  want  to  go  ;  but  I  dou't  want  to  go  if 
you  are  not  willing.  I  shouldn't  have  a  moment's  com- 
fort if  I  thought  you  were  worrying  about  me  all  the 
time." 

"  I  don't  think  I  should  worry  any  more  if  you  were 
gone  than  I  have  for  the  last  two  or  three  months." 

"  Well,  I  didn't  mean  to  drive  you  into  letting  me  go." 

"  You  haven't.  I've  made  up  my  mind  that  you  will 
just  be  as  well  off  in  the  navy  as  you  will  be  at  home. 
You  always  was  a  good  boy ;  and  I  expect  you  will  be- 
have yourself  wherever  you  go." 

"  I  always  mean  to  do  that,  mother.  A  fellow  can't 
be  a  very  bad  boy  in  the  navy,  they  are  so  strict." 

So  it  was  decided  that  John  should  go  into  the  navy ; 
and  there  wasn't  haTT  ro  much  friction  about  the  matter 
as  he  thought  there  would  be  when  the  final  action  should 
qome.  His  mother  seemed  to  be  entirely  satisfied  to 
have  him  go  ;  and  she  was  more  cheerful  for  the  few 
days  following  the  decision  than  she  had  been  before. 
AH  doubt  and  anxiety  on  the  subject  were  removed,  and 
she  was  disposed  to  look  on  the  bright  side  of  the  case 

When  Lieutenant  Bankhcad  appeared,  there  was  no 
occasion  for  the  array  of  excellent  and  convincing  argu- 
ments which  he  had  provided  to  overcome  the  mother's 
repugnance  to  the  proposed  step. 

"Is  your  son  at  home,  madam?"  said  he,  after  the 
introductory  remarks  were  concluded. 


44  THE    SAILOR    BOY;    OR, 

"  Yes,  sir  :  he  is  out  in  the  garden.  I  have  sent  Jenny 
after  him,  and  he  will  be  here  in  a  few  moments." 

"  I  suppose  you  know  what  kind  of  a  time  we  had 
upon  the  water  the  other  night,"  continued  the  visitor. 

"  Yes,  sir  :  John  told  me  all  about  it." 

"  And,  of  course,  he  told  you  how  deeply  I  am  in- 
debted to  him  for  the  service  he  rendered  me  ?  " 

"  He  didn't  say  much  about  that,"  replied  Mrs.  Som- 
ers,  who  did  not  know  but  that  he  might  think  her  son 
had  criticised  the  conduct  of  his  passenger  on  that  event- 
ful night. 

"  He  is  a  brave  little  fellow,  and  I  owe  him  a  debt  I 
shall  never  be  able  to  repay." 

"  Oh,  well !  John  don't  mind  that." 

"  But  I  mind  it ;  and  I  should  have  been  here  before  to 
repeat  my  thanks,  if  the  death  of  my  father  had  not  pre- 
vented." 

"  John  thought  ever  so  much  of  you  ;  and  I  rather 
think  he  is  much  obliged  to  you  for  falling  overboard, 
and  giving  him  a  chance  to  pull  you  into  the  boat.  But 
you  are  not  the  first  man  that  John  has  pulled  out  of  the 
water,"  added  the  mother  proudly. 

"  I  am  very  glad  to  have  obliged  him,  though  it  is  not 
every  young  man  whom  I  should  be  willing  to  oblige  in 
that  manner.  But,  madam,  your  son  wishes  to  go  into 
the  navy." 

i;  Yes,  sir ;  he  has  been  wanting  to  go  ever  since  the 


JACK    SOMERS    IN    THE    NAVY.  45 

war  broke  out :  but  I  couldn't  make  up  my  mind  to  let 
him  go  before  ;  and  John  isn't  a  boy  that  would  go  with- 
out his  mother's  leave." 

"  Good  boys  always  love  and  respect  their  mothers." 

"  But  I've  made  up  my  mind  to  let  him  go  just  as  soon 
as  he  has  a  mind  to.  He  wanted  to  go  off  and  sign  the 
papers  yesterday ;  but  I  told  him  he  had  better  wait  till 
he  saw  you." 

"  Indeed  !     I  am  very  glad  you  have  consented. 

"  Yes,  sir  ;  I  thought  it  would  not  do  any  good  to  hold" 
out  any  longer :  and  John  'is  a  good  boy,  and  will  be- 
have himself  wherever  he  goes.  Here  he  comes :  he 
can  speak  for  himself.' 

Lieutenant  Bankhead  rose,  and  grasped  the  hand  of 
John  as  he  entered  the  room  ;  and,  after  they  had  talked 
a  while  about  their  trip  to  Fort  Warren,  the  subject  near- 
est to  the  young  man's  heart  was  again  brought  up  for 
consideration.  His  grateful  friend  gave  him  all  the  in- 
formation necessary  for  his  guidance  in  the  important 
step  he  was  about  to  take.  It  was  decided  that  John 
should  enter  the  navy  on  the  following  day ;  but,  as  the- 
ship  to  which  Mr.  Bankhead  had  been  ordered  would  not 
be  ready  for  sea  for  a  few  weeks,  it  was  thought  best,  for 
several  reasons,  that  the  young  sailor  should  enlist  in 
Boston,  and  spend  the  period  of  his  probation  on  board 
the  receiving-ship  at  Charlestown.  The  arrangements 
having  been  completed,  and  an  appointment  made  for 


46  THE    SAILOR    BOY;    OR, 

John  to  meet  his  friend  in  the  city  at  noon  the  next  day, 
Mr.  Bankhead  rose  to  take  his  leave. 

"  Jack,  I  dare  say  you  may  think  I  am  a  very  forget- 
ful man,"  continued  the  lieutenant,  with  a  smile  upon 
his  handsome  face. 

"Forgetful?  I  don't  understand  you,  sir.  I'm  sure 
I  never  thought  any  thing  of  the  kind,"  replied  John, 
blushing  up  to  his  eyes. 

"  You  know,  I  promised  to  give  you  ten  dollars  if  you 
brought  me  back  safely  from  the  fort  the  other  night." 

"  I  never  thought  of  it,  sir." 

"  Well,  I  did ;  though  the  illness  of  my  father  drove 
it  out  of  my  head  for  the  timo,"  added  the  officer,  tak- 
ing out  his  porte-monnaie. 

"Really,  sir,  I  don't  want  you  to  give  me  a  cent.  I 
don't  ask  any  thing  for  what  I  did." 

"  I  don't  care  what  you  want,  Jack.  My  conscience, 
wouldn't  let  me  sleep  at  night,  if  I  didn't  keep  my  prom- 
ise. Oh  !  you  needn't  blush,  my  boy  :  I'm  not  going  to 
pay  you ;  but  I  want  to  make  you  a  small  present,  and 
my  brother  insisted  upon  adding  something  to  my  little 
gift.  Here  is  mine,  and  here  is  my  brother's  ;  "  and  Mr. 
Bankhead  handed  him  first  a  hundred-dollar  bill,  and  then 
a  fifty-dollar  bill. 

"Why,  sir,  I"- 

"  Take  them,  Jack,  just  to  oblige  me,"  added  the  lieu- 
tenant. 


JACK    SOHERS    IN    THE    NAVY.  47 

"  No,  sir :  I  can't  take  all  this  money.  It  will  bum 
my  fingers  if  I  keep  it." 

"  If  you  feel  afraid  of  it,  just  hand  it  to  your  mother, 
who,  I  dare  say,  will  find  a  good  use  for  it." 

John  protested,  and  Mrs.  Somers  protested  ;  they  pro- 
tested singly  and  together :  but  the  officer  was  resolute, 
and  positively  refused  to  take  back  the  bills. 

"  If  I  thought  I  could  pay  you,  Jack,  in  money,  I 
should  have  given  you  a  thousand  dollars.  There  is  an 
elderly  lady,  who  lives  only  seven  miles  from  here,  who 
is  just  as  grateful  to  you  as  I  am ;  and,  when  she  feels 
able  to  leave  home,  she  is  coming  over  to  see  your  mother  ; 
and  I  know  they  will  be  the  best  friends  in  the  world." 

"Who,  sir?" 

"  My  mother,  Jack.  She  already  thinks  a  great  deal 
of  you,  my  boy ;  and,  when  she  sees  you,  she  will  not 
think  tliB  less  of  you." 

Lieutenant  Baukhead  took  his  leave  ;  and  John  and  his 
mother  were  so  bewildered  when  he  had  gone,  that  they 
hardly  knew  what  had  happened  during  his  visit.  But 
there  were  the  two  bank-bills  to  attest  the  reality  of  what 
had  occurred ;  and  the  rest  of  the  day  was  spent  in  mak- 
ing preparations  for  the  sailor-boy's  departure.  The 
question  of  what  should  be  done  with  the  hundred  and 
fifty  dollars  caused  considerable  discussion ;  for  Mrs. 
Somers  thought  it  should  be  placed  to  John's  credit  in 
the  Savings  Bank,  and  he  declared  she  must  use  it  to 


48  THE    SAILOR    JiOY;    OR, 

make  herself  comfortable  until  he  could  get  some  money 
to  send  home.  John  was  the  stronger  party  in  the  ar- 
gument ;  and  the  money  was  carefully  deposited  in  the 
bureau-drawer,  to  be  expended  as  the  necessities  of  the 
family  might  require. 

The  next  morning,  John  rose  very  early,  and  did  his 
"  chores "  about  the  house  as  usual.  These  were  his 
last  hours  at  home  ;  and,  though  he  Avas  not  a  very  senti- 
mental lad,  he  couldn't  help  visiting  all  the  familiar  spots 
in  the  vicinity,  and  recalling  all  the  pleasant  little  inci- 
dents of  the  past.  He  might  never  see  them  again  ;  and, 
when  he  left  the  little  chamber  which  Thomas  and  him- 
self had  occupied  since  they  were  old  enough  to  leave 
the  trundle-bed,  he  was  weak  enough  to  shed  a  few  tears. 
He  compared  his  comfortable  bed  with  a  hammock  on 
the  berth-deck  of  a  sloop-of-war ;  but,  when  he  thought 
that  he  was  going  forth  to  fight  for  the  glorious  stripes 
and  stars,  he  was  reconciled  to  any  privations  which  he 
might  be  called  upon  to  endure. 

The  hour  for  his  departure  came  ;  aiid  after  his  mother 
had  given  him  a  few  words  of  counsel,  and  a  blessing 
warm  from  her  heart,  he  kissed  his  sisters,  shook  hands 
with  Gran'ther  Greene,  and  rushed  out  of  the  house 
before  any  one  had  an  opportunity  to  shed  many  tears. 
At  the  railroad  station  he  found  many  of  his  young 
friends  who  had  come  to  see  him  off :  but  the  train  was 
approaching ;  and  after  Captain  Barney  had  wrung  his 


JACK    SOMERS    IN    THE  NAVY.  49 

hand,  and  his  friends  had  given  him  a  hearty  God-speed, 
he  stepped  into  a  car,  and,  as  it  seemed  to  him,  actually 
entered  upon  his  career  as  a  sailor-boy. 

If  our  space  would  permit,  we  could,  no  doubt,  tell 
what  Jack  Somers  was  thinking  about  as  the  train  hurled 
him  along  into  the  arms  of  his  future  destiny.  He  was  a 
good  boy,  and  I  suppose  he  thought  of  every  thing  that 
would  be  likely  to  occur  to  the  mind  of  a  good  boy  leav- 
ing home  to  take  a  part  in  the  most  momentous  war  in 
which  a  nation  ever  engaged.  But,  of  whatever  else  he 
thought,  I  am  sure  that  his  mother  was  uppermost  in 
his  mind.  For  her  sake  he  was  resolved  to  be  true  to  his 
God,  his  country,  and  himself. 

At  the  appointed  time,  he  met  Lieutenant  Bankhead  at 
the  'hotel  where  he  was  boarding  while  in  the  city ;  and 
after  dinner  they  repaired  to  the  naval  rendezvous,  where 
John  was  duly  presented  for  examination  under  the  aus- 
pices of  his  influential  friend. 

"Your  name,  my  lad?"  demanded  the  recruiting 
agent. 

"  John  Somers,"  replied  our  hero  with  a  promptness 
which  was  part  of  his  nature. 

"  How  old  are  you? " 

"  Seventeen,  sir." 

"  Have  you  been  to  sea?" 

"  Yes,  sir." 

"  How  long?" 
4 


50  TE^    SAILOR    BOY;    O It, 

"  One  voyage  to  the  West  Indies,  and  two  to  Charles- 
ton. I  have  been  about  boats  ever  since  I  was  a  baby." 

"  I  can  vouch  for  him  that  he  is  every  inch  a  sailor," 
added  Lieutenant  Bankhead  ;  "and  the  smartest  lad  in  a 
small  craft  I  ever  came  across  in  my  life." 

"  Looks  like  it,"  said  the  agent.  "•  What  can  you  do, 
my  lad  ?  " 

"  Hand,  reef,  and  steer.  I  know  something  about  rig- 
ging ;  but  I  don't  want  to  ship  as  an  able  seaman." 

"  Good  :  ordinary  seaman,  then  ;  though  you  are  rather 
young." 

"  Better  than  half  of  them  in  the  service,"  said  Jack's 
friend. 

"All  right,  Mr.  Bankhead.  We  will  take  your  Avord 
for  it." 

"  I  ought  to  know :  I  have  sailed  with  him  when  I 
wouldn't  trust  myself  in  the  hands  of  many  a  skipper 
that  I  have  known." 

John  was  then  taken  into  another  room,  where  he  was 
ordered  to  "  strip,"  and  was  thoroughly  examined  with 
regard  to  his  physical  condition.  A  minute  description 
of  his  person  was  then  written  out,  including  his  height, 
complexion,  color  of  his  eyes,  and  other  distinguishing 
marks,  which  would  enable  his  officers  to  identify  him  if 
occasion  should  require.  He  was  pronounced  sound  in 
every  respect,  and  fit  to  serve  the  United-States  Govern- 
ment in  the  capacity  of  an  ordinary  seaman. 


JACK    SOMERS    IN    THE    NAVY:  51 

The  men  on  board  a  ship-of-war  are  shipped  in  three 
classes  :  landsmen,  who  know  nothing  about  a  ship  ;  ordi- 
nary seamen,  who  can  "  hand,  reef,  and  steer,"  and  who 
are  sent  aloft  to  perform  the  ordinary  work  of  a  sailor ; 
and  seamen,  sometimes  called  "  able  seamen,"  who  are 
competent  to  do  every  thing  required  in  fitting  out  and 
working  the  ship ;  who  know  all  about  rigging,  splicing 
ropes,  making  and  mending  sails  ;  who  can  rig  and  unrig 
any  spar  ;  and  who  understand  the  lead. 

Landsmen,  at  the  time  of  which  we  write,  received 
twelve  dollars  a  month.  They  remain  on  deck,  haul  the 
halyards,  braces,  and  other  ropes  which  are  worked  on 
deck,  clean  up,  and  do  general  work.  The  pay  of  an 
ordinary  seaman  was  fourteen  dollars  a  month  ;  and  of  a 
seaman,  eighteen.  There  are  also  three  classes  of  boys, 
called  first,  second,  and  third  class  boys,  —  according  to 
their  knowledge  and  physical  ability,  —  who  received, 
respectively,  nine,  eight,  and  seven  dollars  a  month. 

When  a  sailor  ships  for  the  navy,  he  is  supplied  with 
clothing,  and  other  articles  of  comfort  and  luxury,  upon 
credit ;  that  is,  the  value  of  the  goods  is  charged  to 
him,  to  be  deducted  from  his  future  wages.  As  my 
readers  may  be  curious  to  know  the  contents  of  Jack 
Somers's  bag,  I  shall  add  a  list  of  the  articles  with  which 
lie  was  supplied,  and  the  prices  of  them :  — 


52  THE    SAILOR    BOY;    OR, 

Pea  Jacket, $12  00 

Blue  Cloth  Jacket, ; 10  00 

pair  Blue  Cloth  Pants, 4  00 

"      "      Satinet  do 3  00 

Blue  Cap, 1  00 

2    "     Flannel  Shirts, 400 

2  "White  Frocks, 3  00 

2      "       Inside  Shirts, 3  00 

2  pairs  Drawers, 3  00 

2     "     Duck  Pants, 3  00 

2     "      Stockings, 1  00 

1  pair  Shoes, 2  00 

1  Neck  Handkerchief, '. 1  50 

1  Tin  Pot  and  Pan, 75 

1  Jack-knife  and  Spoon, 50 

1  Bar  Soap  and  Scrubbing-Brush, 1  00 

1  Shoe-brush  and  Blacking,    50 

1  Kazor,  Shaving-box,  and  Soap, 2  15 

$55  40 

Jack  blushed  when  the  last-named  articles  were  handed 
to  him ;  but,  as  he  had  already  made  some  efforts  to 
coax  a  little  feathery  down  upon  his  upper  lip  to  vegetate 
more  rapidly  than  Nature  was  disposed,  he  determined  to 
persevere,  in  the  hope  that  he  might  surprise  his  friends, 
at  the  expiration  of  his  term,  by  presenting  himself  be- 
fore them  with  a  full-grown  beard. 

Men  may  draw  two  pounds  of  tobacco  ;  but  it  is  not 
allowed  if  the  sailor  is  under  twenty. 


JACK    SOME  US    IN    THE    NAVY.  53 

Our  hero  was  appalled  at  the  extent  of  his  wardrobe  : 
but  Mr.  Bankhead  assured  him  he  would  find  a  use  for 
every  thing  he  had,  unless  it  was  the  shaving  imple- 
ments ;  which  made  Jack  blush  again,  as  though  it  were 
wicked  to  shave. 


54  THE    SAILOR    BOY;    OB, 


CHAPTER    V. 

ON    BOARD    THE     OHIO. 

N  board  the  receiving-ship  Ohio,  to  which  all 
-J  naval  recruits  in  the  vicinity  of  Boston  are  sent, 
Jack  reported  to  the  officer  of  the  deck ;  and 
after  his  name  had  been  registered,  and  sundry 
particulars  in  regard  to  him  entered  upon  the  ship's  books, 
he  was  sent  forward.  A  number  for  -his  hammock,  and 
another  for  his  clothes-bag,  were  given  him ;  and  he  was 
assigned  to  a  mess.  Mr.  Bankhead,  having  done  all  he 
could  for  his  protege,  and  stated  his  intentions  in  regard 
to  him,  took  his  leave  ;  and  Jack  found  himself  alone, 
though  there  were  hundreds  of  men  on  board  the  ship. 

Though  Jack  was  alone  so  far  as  acquaintances  were 
concerned,  there  was  no  opportunity  to  be  lonesome  ;  for 
the  gun-deck  was  thronged  with  men.  There  were  old 
sailors  who  had  been  fifty  years  in  the  navy,  and  "  green 
hands"  who  had  just  come  from  the  country,  and  had 
never  seen  a  ship  till  within  a  few  days.  There  wore 
rough,  hard-visaged  men,  and  those  with  no  small  pre- 
tensions to  gentility.  There  were  men  of  all  colors  and 
of  every  nation. 


JACK    SOMERS    IN    THE    NAVY.  55 

It  was  a  lively  scene,  whichever  way  he  turned ;  and 
Jack  sat  down  upon  a  mess-chest  to  observe  the  strange 
sights,  and  listen  to  the  strange  sounds.  Some  of  the 
men  were  walking  up  and  down  the  deck  for  exercise  ; 
some  were  playing  cards,  dominoes,  and  similar  games  ; 
some  were  reading,  and  some  were  mending  their  clothes. 
It  was  an  interesting  prospect  to  a  young  man  full  of 
life ;  but  he  could  not  help  thinking  of  the  happy 
home  in  Pinchbrook,  and  the  devoted  mother  who  was 
the  central  figure  in  the  picture.  On  the  whole,  he  did 
not  like  his  surroundings  very  well.  The  place  did  not 
seem  much  like  a  ship,  and  he  hoped  he  should  not  have 
to  be  confined  a  great  while  on  board  the  old  hulk. 

While  he  was  thinking  of  home  and  friends,  and  trying 
to  bring  his  imagination  to  bear  upon  the  future,  a  ring- 
ing blow  on  the  top  of  his  head  confused  his  ideas,  and 
completely  upset  "the  air-castle  which  he  had  erected  m 
his  vivid  fancy. 

"  Heave  up,  my  hearty  !  "  exclaimed  the  author  of  this 
wanton  mischief,  as  he  brought  the  large  tin  pan  he 
carried  in  his  hand  down  upon  Jack's  head  a  second 
time. 

"What  are  you  about?"  demanded  the  contemplative 
young  man,  springing  to  his  feet. 

"  Get  off  the  mess-chest,  then,  so  I  can  get  at  the 
grub,"  replied  the  man  in  a  surly  tone. 

"  Why  didn't  you  say  so,  then?" 


56  THE    SAILOR    BOY,    OR, 

"  I  did  say  so." 

"  Well,  you  had  better  not  hit  me  in  just  that  style 
again,"  added  Jack  angrily. 

"  Shut  up,  you  young  monkey !  Do  you  think  I'm 
going  to  bow  and  scrape  to  every  lubber  that  chooses  to 
moor  his  carcass  on  the  mess-chest?  Now  sheer  off,  and 
keep  out  of  the  way." 

Jack  did  not  move,  and,  withal,  wore  so  dignified  and 
independent  an  air,  that  the  man,  who  had  charge  of.  the 
mess  to  which  the  recruit  was  ordered,  struck  him  once 
more,  on  the  side  of  the  head,  with  the  tin  pan.  This 
was  rather  more  than  Jack's  warm  blood  could  endure, 
and  more  than  his  philosophy  was  proof  against.  Re- 
gardless of  the  rigid  discipline  of  a  man-of-war,  he  in- 
stantly squared  off,  and  planted  a  smart  blow  of  his  fist 
upon  the  face  of  the  surly  fellow.  With  a  volley  of 
heavy  oaths,  the  cook  of  the  mess  sprang  at  him  with  the 
ferocity  of  a  tiger.  Jack,  who  was  cooler,  defended  him- 
self on  scientific  principles,  and  repeated  his  "practice" 
upon  the  physiognomy  of  his  antagonist  with  such  effect, 
that  either  because  his  blows  were  tremendous,  or  be- 
cause there  was  a  spot  of  grease  on  the  deck,  his  assail- 
ant went  down. 

"Avast  there,  Spriggs ! "  shouted  an  old  and  dignified 
salt,  who  was  mending  his  pants  near  the  scene, — 
"  avast  there,  and  let  the  youngster  alone  ! 

For  a  moment,  the  blue-jackets  on  the  gun-deck  revelled 


JACK    SOMERS    IN    THE    NAVY.  57 

in  the  anticipation  of  a  fight.  A  crowd  began  to  gather  ; 
•but  the  sport  was  quickly  nipped  in  the  bud  by  the  ap- 
pi-iirance  of  a  couple  of  marines  with  cutlasses  in  their 
hands,  each  of  whom  seized  one  of  the  belligerents. 

"What's  all  this  about?"  asked  one  of  the  marines. 

"What's  it  about?"  replied  Spriggs.  "Why,  that 
young  lubber  hit  me  side  of  the  head  ;  and  I  don't  let  any 
man  this  side  of  Gibraltar  do  that." 

"  He  struck  me  three  times  on  the  head  with  the  tin 
pun."  added  Jack  ;  "  and  no  man  this  side  of  Gibraltar, 
01-  the  other  side  cither,  can  do  that."  . 

"  I  shall  report  you  to  the  officer  of  the  deck,"  said 
the  marine,  as  a  couple  of  ship's  corporals  appeared,  and 
were  left  to  enforce  a  strict  neutrality  between  the  par- 
ties. 

In  a  few  moments  the  master-at-arms  presented  him- 
self, and  Jack  and  Spriggs  were  ordered  to  the  spar-deck 
for  examination.  The  parties  were  conducted  into  the 
awful  presence  of  the  officer  of  the  deck,  before  whom  all 
of  them,  including  the  master-at-arms,  and  Tom  Long- 
stone,  the  old  seaman  who  had  witnessed  the  affray, 
reverently  touched  their  hats ;  which  is  the  usual  token 
of  respect  to  an  officer  on  board  a  ship-of-war. 

"  Well,  my  lad,  you  have  made  a  bad  beginning,"  be- 
gan the  officer  of  the  deck,  who  was  no  doubt  pained  to 
see  the  protuye  of  Lieutenant  Bankhead  thus  early  impli- 
cated in  a  disturbance. 


L>8  THE    SAILOR    BOY:    OK, 

"  It  was  not  my  fault,  sir,"  replied  Jack. 

"  I  beg  your  honor's  pardou  :  but  the  youngster  hit 
me  side  of  the  head ;  and  what  I  did,  yer  honor,  was  in 
self-defence,"  said  Spriggs. 

"  How's  that,  my  lad?"  demanded  the  officer. 

"  It  is  not  true,  sir.  I  was  sitting  on  the  chest,  whsn 
he  came  up  behind  me,  and  struck  me  over  the  head 
with  a  tin  pan." 

"  Yes,  your  honor :  he  was  sodgering  on  the  mess- 
chest,  and  wouldn't  get  out  of  the  way,  so  I  could  get  the 
hard-tack  out  for  supper." 

"  Then  you  struck  him  first?"  asked  the  officer  sternly. 

"  He  wouldn't  move  till  I  did,"  added  Spriggs  sourly. 

"  He  didn't  ask  me  to  move,  and  I  did  not  know  he 
was  near  me  till  he  struck  me." 

"  That's  a  fact,  yer  honor,"  interposed  Tom  Long- 
stone.  "  The  youngster  was  peaceable  enough  till  Spriggs 
hit  him,  and  he  did  not  strike  back  till  he  was  hit  three 
times." 

The  two  marines  fully  confirmed  this  testimony, 
though  they  had  not  witnessed  the  scene  which  preceded 
the  affray.  Spriggs  was  immediately  ordered  to  the 
place  of  confinement  on  the  orlop-deck,  there  to  subsist 
for  twenty-four  hours  on  bread  and  water,  with  irons  on 
his  ankles. 

"  Now,  my  lad,  you  are  a  green  hand  on  board  of  a 
man-of-war,"  said  the  officer  of  the  deck,  when  the  guilty 


JACK    SO  MESS    IN    THE    NAVY.  59 

party  had  been  conducted  below.  "  You  must  learn  that 
fighting  is  lever  tolerated  under  any  circumstances.  This 
is  your  first  offence,  and  I  shall  let  you  off." 

"  I  beg  pardon,  sir,"  stammered  Jack,  his  face  as  red 
as  the  crimson  bunting  in  the  ensign  at  the  peak,  —  "I 
beg  pardon,  sir  ;  but  I  could  not  help  it." 

"  Yes,  you  could  help  it.  "We  don't  tolerate  fighting. 
If  you  have  any  complaints  to  make,  you  will  have  a 
chance  to  be  heard.  Now  go  to  your  mess,  and  remem- 
ber what  I  have  said."  • 

Jack  touched  his  hat  as  he  saw  the  others  do,  and 
went  below.  He  was  perfectly  willing  to  remember  what 
the  officer  had  told  him:  but  it  did  not  exactly  accord 
with  his  ideas  ;  and  he  was  very  much  afraid,  that,  under, 
the  same  temptation,  he  should  be  likely  to  repeat  the 
offence.  ' 

"  There,  youngster,  you've  larned  a  lesson,"  said  Tom 
Longstone,  as  he  settled  himself  upon  the  mess-bench, 
and  resumed  his  labors  at  the  dilapidated  trousers  he  was 
attempting  to  restore  to  their  former  state  of  usefulness. 

"  I'm  much  obliged  to  you  for  what  you  said  for  me," 
replied  Jack,  as  he  took  a  seat  by  the  side  of  the  old 
salt. 

"  You're  welcome,  my  hearty.  I  hope  you  won't  need 
a  word  from  me  again  to  keep  you  out  of  the  'brig,' 
which  is  the  prison  on  board  a  man-of-war." 

"  I  hope  not ;  but  I  can't  stand  it  to  be  thumped  round, 
as  Spriggs  began  with  me." 


60  THE    SAILOR    BOY;    OR, 

"  You  are  smart  and  spunky,  my  lad ;  and  I  like  you 
for't :  but,  when  one  of  them  ere  flunkies  strikes  you 
foul,  you  must  sarve  'im  out  some  other  way." 

"  I  don't  know  any  better  way  to  serve  out  a  bully 
than  to  give  him  as  good  as  he  sends,  on  the  spot." 

"  Nor  I  neither,  my  lad ;  but  'twou't  do  board  a  man- 
o'-war.  That's  beatin'  to  wind'ard  for  the  sake  o'  runnin' 
on  the  rocks.  Sheer  off,  and  sarve  'im  out  some  other 
way." 

"A  fellow  will  be  bullied  and. trodden  upon  by  every 
petty  tyrant  in  the  ship,  if  he  submits  to  it." 

"  No,  he  won't,  youngster.  A  man  finds  his  level 
board  a  man-o'-war  just  as  he  docs  everywhere  else. 
If  a  man  behaves  himself,  everybody  —  officers  and  all  — 
will  treat  him  with  respecL  I've  been  in  the  navy  thirty 
years,  and  I  know  it's  a  fact." 

"What  could  I  do,  when  that  man  struck  me?  If  I 
had  submitted,  he  and  others  around  Avould  have  re- 
peated the  insult." 

"  Sarve  him  out  some  other  way,"  replied  old  Tom 
mysteriously. 

"  I  don't  understand  what  you  mean." 

"  You'll  larn,  my  fightin'-cock,"  added  Tom  with  a 
cunning  smile. 

"  What  would  you  have  done  if  Spriggs  had  struck 
you  on  the  head  with  a  tin  pan  ?  " 

"  He  wouldn't  have  done  that  to  Tom  Longstone,  nor 
any  other  man  board  this  '  guardo.'  " 


SOMERS    IN    THE    NAVY.  61 

"  Perhaps  not ;  but  suppose  he  had  ?  " 

"  I  should  have  knocked  him  over,  just  as  you  did,  my 
spunky  one." 

"  But  then  you  would  have  gone  into  a  fight." 

"  Not  I,  my  lad.  I  should  have  sheered  off  as  soon  as 
I  had  a  done  it ;  and  left  the  ship's  corporals  to  take  care 
of  him,  if  he  wasn't  satisfied.  I  might  have  cut  down  his 
hammock  arter  he  turned  in,  or  dropped  a  belayin'-pin 
on  his  toes,  or  something  of  that  sort ;  but  I  shouldn't 
get  up  a  fight  with  him.  The  fact  is,  my  crank  little 
one,  an  ill-tempered  fellow  is  sarved  out  so  many  ways, 
board  a  man-o'-war,  that  he  soon  larns  to  mind  his  own 
business." 

"  "Well,  I  dare  say  I  shall  soon  learn  the  ways  of  my 
new  shipmates  ;  but  I  don't  half  like  the  fashion  of 
hitting  a  fellow  in  the  dark." 

"  You  can't  fight  it  out  board  the  ship,  and  you  won't 
stand  it  to  be  bullied  by  a  flunky.  As  to  hitting  'im  in 
the  dark,  my  little  breezer,  that's  all  in  your  eye.  Your 
flunky  knows  who  does  it,  and  so  does  every  man  in  the 
ship.  That's  our  way  of  sarvin'  'im  out." 

"  Very  likely  I  shall  get  used  to  it  in  a  short  time  :  at 
any  rate,  I  mean  to  do  my  duty  faithfully,  obey  orders, 
arid  keep  up  to  the  discipline  of  the  ship." 

"  That's  right,  my  jolly  bantam  :  that's  the  way  to  get 
along  in  the  navy." 

Tom  Longstone  was  a  veteran  in  the  navy,  and  knew 


62  THE    SAILOR    BOY,     OR,       , 

every  rope  in  the  ship,  as  well  as  every  quirk  in  its  dis- 
cipline, and  was  thoroughly  posted  in  all  the  supersti- 
tions and  traditions  of  the  service.  For  some  reason  or 
other,  —  perhaps  because  he  had  displayed  the  spirit  of 
a  man,  —  the  old  salt  was  strongly  prejudiced  in  Jack's 
favor  at  the  first  interview,  and  proceeded,  in  due  form, 
to  take  him  under  his  protection.  Tom  pumped  him  dry 
in  regard  to  his  parents,  his  native  place,  his  antecedents 
upon  the  sea  and  the  land.  He  examined  him  in  sea- 
manship, inquired  carefully  into  his  moral  and  religious 
principles,  —  as  carefully  as  though  Jack  had  been  a 
candidate  for  the  situation  of  chaplain  instead  of  ordinary 
seaman,  —  and  was  particularly  nice  in  his  inquiries  into 
the  incipient  hero's  patriotism. 

"You  see,  my  jolly  little  clipper,  I  believe  in  two 
things :  one  on  'em  is  the  Bible,  and  t'other  the  'Meriken 
flag.  I  never  thro  wed  a  vote  in  my  life,  and  never  had 
nothin'  to  do  with  politics ;  but  the  man  that  says  any 
thing  agin  the  'Meriken  flag,  why,  smash  my  cutwater, 
but  he's  my  enemy !  Them's  my  sentiments,  Jack.  I 
haven't  got  no  other  creed,  in  politics  or  religion.  Stand 
by  the  Bible  and  the  'Meriken  flag,  my  hearty,  and  it'll 
be  all  right  with  you  in  this  world  and  t'other  one  too. 
Steady  !  there's  the  boatswain's  whistle  piping  to  supper. 
Here,  my  jolly  biscuit-nibbler,  stow  your  little  carcass  in 
here,  and  I'll  see  that  the  sharks  don't  gnaw  your  walk- 
ing-timber s  off." 


JACK    SOMERS    IN    THE    NAVY  G3 

Tom  Longstone  seated  himself  at  the  mess-table,  upon 
which  the  grub  had  been  placed,  during  the  conversation, 
by  a  steward  pro  tern.,  who  had  been  deputed  to  serve  in 
the  place  of  Spriggs.  They  did  not  have  hot  biscuits 
and  baked  apples  for  supper ;  but  the  fare  was  good, 
wholesome,  and  abundant  in  quantity.  Jack  Avas  intro- 
duced to  his  mess-mates,  in  man-of-war  style,  by  Tom  ; 
and  very  soon  the  conversation  turned  upon  the  events 
which  had  occurred  before  supper,  and  our  hero  was  duly 
commended  and  admired  for  his  manliness. 

"  He'll  larn  better  how  to  sarve  out  a  flunky  one  of 
these  days,"  said  Tom,  who  was  proud  of  his  protege. 
"  That's  just  the  way  you'll  sarve  out  the  rebels,  my  lad  : 
lay  'em  aboard,  and  carry  'em  all  standing." 

"  I  hope  I  shall  behave  myself  on  such  an  occasion," 
replied  Jack  modestly.  "  I  came  into  the  navy  to  fight 
for  my  country,  and  I  intend  to  do  my  duty." 

"  That's  the  idea,  my  merry  little  piper.  Stand  by 
the  stars  and  stripes  as  long  as  there's  a  plank  left." 

"  I  reckon  some  of  us  will  be  drafted  before  long," 
added  Ben  Blinks,  a  weatherly  old  tar,  who  had  just  re- 
turned from  a  foreign  cruise,  and  shipped  again  for  three 
years. 

"  The  sooner  the  better,"  said  Jack  with  enthusiasm. 

"  I've  been  aboard  the  guardo  about  as  long  as  I  want 
to  be,"  coiiliiim-d  Bob  Rushiagtoii,  a  man-of-war  dandy, 
who  wore  ear-rings,  and  had  shining  black  curls, 


64  THE    SAILOR    EOT;    OR, 

"  I  say,  Jack,  who's  the  officer  that  convoyed  you 
aboard  ?  "  demanded  Tom  Longstone. 

"  Lieutenant  Bankhead." 

"  Baukhead?  He  is  a  gentleman  and  a  scholar.  I've 
heard  good  things  of  him." 

"  He  promised  to  have  me  drafted  into  his  ship,"  added 
Jack. 

"  Good,  my  little  honey-bee  ;  and,  if  he  takes  you,  he 
must  take  me,"  said  Tom,  bringing  his  fist  down  upon 
the  mess-table.  . 

"  I  think  he  would  be  very  glad  to  have  you."  . 

"  Suppose  you  put  in  a  word  for  me." 

"  I  will,  with  pleasure." 

"And  for  me,"  added  Blinks. 

*'  Likewise  for  me,"  suggested  Rushington. 

Half  a  dozen  others  made  a  like  request ;  and  Jack  did 
not  know  but  he  should  have  the  pleasure  of  drafting  the 
whole  crew  for  Mr.  Bankhead's  ship.  But,  after  con- 
sultation with  Tom,  he  decided  to  use  his  influence  only 
for  Blinks  and  Rushington  :  first,  because  he  liked  them  ; 
and,  second,  because  Tom  said  they  were  first-rate  sea- 
men. 


JACK    SOMERS    IN    TUB    NAVY.  65 


CHAPTER    VI. 

JACK  TAKES   A   LESSON   IN   DISCIPLINE. 

N  the  following  day,  Spriggs  was  released  from 
confinement ;  having  served  out  his  twenty-four 
hours  upon  bread  aud  water.  He  was  ordered 
to  resume  his  duties  as  cook  of  the  mess.  He 
looked  at  Jack  with  an  evil  eye :  but,  as  our  hero  was 
under  the  powerful  protection  of  three  old  men-of-war's 
men,  he  behaved  tolerably  well ;  and  Jack,  willing  to  for- 
give him,  treated  him  as  handsomely  as  though  nothing 
had  happened  to  disturb  their  friendly  relations. 

"  Just  keep  an  eye  to  windward,  my  lad,"  said  Blinks 
after  supper.  "  Spriggs  looks  as  though  he  meant  mis- 
chief." 

«'  Thank  you,  I  will,"  replied  Jack ;  "  though  I  am 
willing  to  let  by-gones  go  for  nothing." 

"Spriggs  isn't:  so  just  keep  your  weather-eye  wide 
open." 

"  Do  you  think  he  will  attempt  to  whip  me?  " 
"  Not  he  ;  he  has  got  enough  of  that :  but  he'll  upset 
a  pot  of  hot  tea  in  your  lap,  or  do  some  dirty  trick  of 
that  sort." 

I 


66  THE    SAILOR    B  O- Y ;    OR, 

"  I'll  look  out  for  him." 

"  Just  keep  riglit  up  stiff  into  the  wind,  and  we'll  see 
you  through  if  he  attempts  to  fool  you." 

Jack  paid  no  apparent  attention  to  Spriggs,  though  he 
kept  a  close  watch  upon  all  his  movements.  When  the 
hammocks  were  piped  down  at  night,  he  observed  that 
his  enemy  kept  a  sharp  eye  upon  him,  and  he  had  no 
doubt  he  intended  mischief.  He  mentioned  his  suspi- 
cions to  Blinks^  whose  hammock  was  slung  next  to  his 
own." 

"All  right:  he's  got  your  bearings,  and  he  means  to 
cut  you  down." 

"  I  don't  see  that  I  can  help  myself,  unless  I  keep 
awake  all  night." 

"  Yes,  you  can  :  we'll  rig  a  dummy  for  you." 

Blinks  explained  his  plan ;  and,  with  the  assistance  of 
his  other  friends,  they  deposited  four  twenty-four-pound 
shot  in  Jack's  hammock.  Another  shot  was  slung  over 
the  hook,  in  such  a  manner  that  the  ropeyarn  which  held 
it  in  position  would  be  severed  when  the  revengeful  vil- 
lain cut  the  lanyard  of  the  hammock.  Bob  Rushington 
then  stowed  himself  away  under  the  lee  of  the  mainmast, 
and  Jack  occupied  his  hammock.  All  these  preparations 
had  been  very  carefully  conducted,  so  as  to  avoid  the  keen 
scrutiny  of  the  master-at-arms  and  the  ship's  corporals, 
who  form  the  active  police  of  a  man-of-war ;  but  it  is 
more  than  probable  tluvt  one  of  the  latter  officers  knew 


JACK    SO  ME  US    IN    THE    NAVY.  67 

all  about  the  proceedings,  and  was  quite  willing  that 
Spriggs  should  be  "  sarved  out "  in  his  own  coin. 

The  conspirators  kept  themselves  wide  awake,  though 
they  were  careful  to  avoid  an  open  breach  of  discipline. 
The  lights  were  all  put  out,  so  that  nothing  could  be  seen  ; 
and  silence  reigned  upon  the  decks  of  the  Ohio,  on  which 
were  berthed  not  less  than  a  thousand  men.  Jack  was 
nervous  and  expectant.  Four  bells  —  ten  o'clock  — 
struck  ;  and  he  began  to  be  very  sleepy,  and  impatient 
for  the  trap  to  be  sprung.  At  five  bells,  he  began  to 
think  that  he  had  mistaken  the  purpose  of  his  malignant 
enemy  ;  and  he  was  just  going  to  sleep,  when  down  thun- 
dered the  cannon-balls  upon  the  deck,  rolling  off  into  the 
scuppers  with  a  noise  like  the  mutteriugs  of  a  distant 
tempest.  At  the  same  time,  a  heavy  groan  saluted  the 
ears  of  the  aroused  sleepers,  as  Avell  as  of  the  ingenious 
conspirators  who  had  plotted  .and  executed  the  mischief. 

"What's  the  row?"  demanded  Blinks,  as  innocently 
as  though  he  had  just  been  awakened  from  the  slumber 
of  innocence  itself.  "  Who's  hurt  ?  " 

"  Oh,  my  foot ! "  groaned  the  sufferer,  who  appeared 
to  be  unable  to  retreat  from  his  position. 

"What's  the  matter  with  your  foot?"  asked  Rush- 

>  J 

iugtou,  who  had  come  forward  from  the   mainmast  to 

ascertain  the  issue  of  the  plot. 

"  It's  smashed  to  a  jelly  ! "  groaned  Spriggs,  whose 
tones  were  readily  recognized  by  the  occupants  of  the 
hammocks  in  the  vicinity. 


68  THE    SAILOR    BOY;     OR, 

"  How  did  you  do  it?  Did  you  roll  out  of  your  ham- 
mock? 1  heard  an  awful  fall  of  something  out  here  just 
now,"  added  Rushington,  whose  voice  seemed  to  melt 
with  sympathy  for  the  afflicted  cook  of  the  mess 

Spriggs  made  no  reply  to  these  direct  questions ;  for 
we  doubt  not  his  conscience  was  as  sore  as  his  foot.  One 
of  the  ship's  corporals  on  duty  upon  the  berth-deck  pres- 
ently appeared,  and  demanded  the  cause  of  the  disturb- 
ance. 

"  Spriggs  has  tumbled  out  of  his  hammock,"  replied 
Rushington.  "The  ship  gave  a  lee-lurch,  and  pitched 
him  out." 

"  Oh,  my  foot  !  "  groaned  Spriggs. 

"  I  don't  exactly  see  IIOAV  you  could  smash  your  foot 
tumbling  out  of  a  hammock,"  added  the  ship's  corporal. 
"There  aren't  a  V(jry  heavy  sea  runniu'  just  here  along- 
side the  wharf,  nuther." 

"  I  didn't  fall  out  of  the  hammock,"  said  Spriggs  in 
savage  tones. 

"Didn't  you?  Then  maybe  you  can  tell  how  it  hap- 
pened?' 

"  I  don't  know  what  it  was  :  somebody  dropped  a  shot 
on  my  foot." 

"What  were  you  doing  here?"  demanded  the  officer 
of  police. 

Spriggs  declined 'to  answer  this  question  ;  and  the  un- 
pityiug  official,  for  some  reason  or  other,  did  not  press 


JACK    SOMERS    IN    THE    NAVY.  69 

the  question,  but  ordered  the  sufferer  to  come  with  him 
to  the  hospital,  and  have  the  injured  member  examined. 

"  I  can't  walk,"  sighed  Spriggs,  as  he  attempted  to 
rise.  "  My  foot  is  smashed  to  a  jelly,  I  tell  you  ! " 

"  If  that's  so,  Spriggs,  I  reckon  you'd  better  stick  to 
your  hammock  another  time,  and  not  go  skylarking 
about  decks  at  this  hour  of  the  night,"  added  Rushing- 
ton,  whose  advice  was  certainly  good  and  well  meant. 
"  If  you  can't  walk,  we  will  carry  you  to  the  sick-bay." 

The  ship's  corporal  and  the  seamen  picked  up  the  dis' 
comfited  conspirator,  and  bore  him  to  the  hospital.  As 
soon  as  they  had  disappeared,  Blinks  carefully  concealed 
tha  ropcyaru  by  which  the  cannon-ball  had  been  sus- 
pended ;  and,  having  repaired  as  well  as  he  could  the 
damage  to  Jack's  hammock,  they  all  turned  in,  and  slept 
without  further  disturbance. 

Spriggs  was  confined  to  the  sick-bay  for  a  week  ;  and 
it  was  a  month  before  he  could  walk  without  limping. 
On  his  return  to  the  mess,  he  seemed  to  be  satisfied,  and 
treated  his  companions  with  proper  respect  and  consider- 
ation. When  he  came  back,  Jack  was  taking  his  turn  as 
cook  of  the  mess  ;  a  position  jn  which  each  man  in  suc- 
cession serves  for  one  week.  He  felt  that  his  predecessor 
in  office  had  been  amply  "  sarved  out ;  "  and,  though  he 
did  not  like  the  man,  he  wished  to  be  at  peace  with  him. 
He  treated  him  respectfully  and  kindly,  and  used  every 
means  in  his  power  to  conciliate  him.  His  efforts  were 


70  THE    SAILOR    BOY;    OR, 

not  in  vain  ;  for,  before  our  hero  left  the  receiving-ship, 
Spriggs  had  forgiven,  and  perhaps  forgotten,  the  past :  at 
any  rate,  they  were  on  as  good  terms  as  two  persons  not 
mutually  respecting  each  other  could  be. 

Jack  had  not  seen  Mr.  Bankhead  since  they  had  parted 
on  the  deck  of  the  Ohio  ;  for  the  latter  had  gone  to  Phil- 
adelphia, where  his  ship  was  fitting  out :  but  our  sailor- 
boy  had  written  to  him  in  regard  to  his  future  prospects, 
and,  in  his  letter,  had  taken  occasion  to  mention  his  three 
friends  who  had  desired  him  to  intercede  for  them.  He 
had  received  a  favorable  reply,  and  for  several  weeks 
had  been  impatiently  waiting  to  be  summoned  to  a  more 
active  field  of  labor. 

At  the  time  of  which  we  write,  there  was  a  deficiency 
of  seamen  at  the  navy-yards  of  Philadelphia  and  Wash- 
ington, and  drafts  were  occasionally  made  on  those  at 
Charlestown  and  Portsmouth.  After  Jack  and  his 
friends  had  waited  till  their  patience  was  nearly  ex- 
hausted, they  Avere  delighted  to  hear  that  Lieutenant, 
Bankhead,  first-lieutenant  and  executive  officer  of  the 
United-States  steam  sloop-of-w*ir  Harrisburg,  was  upon 
the  spar-deck,  and  would  immediately  draft  a  number  of 
seamen  for  his  ship. 

"  Now,  my  breezy  little  reefer,  your  time  has  come," 
said  Tom  Longstone,  as  the  word  was  passed  along 
among  the  men  :  "  Mr.  Bankhead  is  on  deck." 

"  I  will  run  up  and  see  him,"  replied  Jack  hastily,  as 
he  started  to  execute  his  purpose. 


JACK    SOMERS    IN    THE    NAVY.  71 

"Avast,  there,  avast !  Belay  every  thing  !  "  exclaimed 
Tom,  as  he  grasped  his  protege  by  the  arm,  and  detained 
him. 

"What's  the  matter,  Tom?"  demanded  Jack,  rather 
surprised  at  the  conduct  of  his  friend. 

"  Don't  be  in  a  hurry  :  just  moor  your  hulk  alongside 
of  Old  Tom  on  this  mess-chest,  my  sentimental  little 
skipper,  and  let  us  overhaul  this  matter  a  little." 

"  But  Mr.  Bankhead  is  on  deck,  Tom  ;  and  I  want  to 
see  him." 

"All  right,  Jack  :  so  he  is.  If  he  wasn't,  I  wouldn't 
say  a  word.  Mr.  Bankhead  is  first-lieutenant  and  execu- 
tive officer  of  the  sloop-of-war  Harrisburg.  Now,  my 
lively  little  pap-consumer,  what  are  you  ?  " 

"  What  am  I?  What  am  I?  Why,  I'm  an  ordinary 
seaman  in  the  navy,  and  hope  soon  to  be  drafted  into  the 
Harrisburg." 

"  Precisely  so  ;  but  you  don't  know  no  more  nor  a 
marine.  Are  you  go  in'  for  to  go  for  to  throw  yourself 
into  the  arms  of  Mr.  Bankhead,  just  as  though  he  was 
your  fust  cousin,  and  you'd  been  off  on  a  long  v'y'ge  ?  " 

"  He  will  be  very  glad  to  take  me  by  the  hand,"  said 
Jack,  rather  mystified  at  this  representation  of  his  own 
insignificance. 

"  Jack,  don't  you  stick  your  flipper  out  to  Mr.  Bank- 
head  any  more'n  you'd  put  your  leg  into  the  maw  of  a 
ground  shark,"  continued  Tom  earnestly. 


72  THE    SAILOR    BOY;    OR, 

"  Why  not?"  demanded  Jack,  who  thought  Tom's  sus- 
picions were  an  insult  to  his  friend,  and  a  reflection  upon 
his  sincerity. 

"  Why,  you  young  monkey,  you  are  as  green  as  a 
horse-mackerel !  You  don't  know  no  more  nor  a  land- 
lubber ! " 

"  Mr.  Bankhead  has  seen  the  time  when  he  was  glad 
to  obey  my  orders,"  replied  Jack  smartly. 

"  Ha,  ha,  ha  !  "  laughed  Tom,  taking  off  his  cap,  and 
pitching  it  down  upon  the  mess-table  ;  while  Blinks  and 
Rushington  roared  till  their  sides  ached  at  the  self-suffi- 
ciency of  the  young  sailor. 

"  Well,  you  may  laugh  as  much  as  you  please ;  but 
says  he,  '  Jack,  you  are  skipper,  and  I  will  obey  your 
orders.  What  shall  I  do  ? '  says  he.  '  Knot  these  reef- 
points  in  the  foresail,'  says  I ;  and  he  did  it." 

"All  that  may  be,  my  noisy  little  boatman  ;  but  things 
is  changed  since  you  and  Mr.  Bankhead  went  on  your 
last  cruise.  I  s'pose  you  think  he'll  take  you  into  the 
cabin,  rig  you  out  in  long  togs,  and  mess  you  with  the 
ward-room  officers." 

"  I  don't  expect  any  thing  of  the  sort,  Tom :  I  don't 
want  him  to  do  any  thing  of  that  kind.  I  am  willing  to 
do  my  duty  like  any  other  fellow  on  board." 

"  So  much  the  better,  my  darling  ;  for  Mr.  Bankhead 
is  too  sensible  a  man  for  to  make  a  baby  of  you.  He 
aren't  a-going  to  feed  you  with  warm  milk.  If  he's  your 
friend,  he's  going  to  make  a  man  of  you." 


JACK    SOMERS    IN    THE    NAVY.  73 

"  I  expect  to  fare  just  like  my  mess-mates, — no  better, 
no  worse  ;  but  I  expect  he  will  treat  me  like  a  Christian." 

"  He'll  do  that,  my  jolly  little  beef-eater  ;  but  if  you 
go  sticking  your  nipper  out  to  him,  just  like  as  if  you 
was  a  wardroom  officer,  I'll  bet  a  month's  wages  he 
won't  know  you.  Don't  you  do  it,  Jack.  You  hain't 
been  thirty  years  in  the  navy,  my  precious  little  infant ; 
you  never  saw  Cape  Horn  ;  you  never  went  up  the  Med- 
iterranean ;  you  never  walked  round  a  capstan  board  a 
nian-o'-war.  You  don't  know  no  more  about  discipline 
nor  a  heathen  do  about  Watts's  Hymns." 

"  "What  shall  I  do  ?  "  asked  Jack,  not  a  little  puzzled 
by  this  exemplification  of  man-of-war  discipline ;  and 
perhaps  he  was  disposed  to  inqiiire  if  there  was  any  use 
in  having  a  friend  in  the  wardroom,  if  he  was  not  to  be 
permitted  to  know  him. 

"What  shall  you  do?  There,  now,  my  sweet  little 
bone-cracker,  them's  the  most  sensible  words  you've 
spoken  for  half  an  hour.  What  shall  you  do?  That's 
jest  what  the  publiken  wanted  to  know  when  he  smote 
his  breast.  He  smote  his  breast  bekase  he  wanted  to 
know.  He  didn't  spile  his  shirt-bosom  for  nothin',  Jack. 
What  shall  you  do,  my  blating  little  lamb  ? 

"  Yes,  Tom ;  what  shall  I  do  ? "  asked  Jack,  highly 
amused  as  well  as  deeply  edified  by  the  profound  remarks 
of  the  old  blue-jacket.  "  And,  if  you  don't  answer  me 
pretty  soon,  I  shall  begin  to  think  you  are  nothing  but 
an  old  blower." 


74  THE    SAILOR    BOY;    OB, 

"  Vast  heavin',  Jack  :  respect  my  bald  head,  and  never 
let  that  little  tongue  of  yourn  unkile  any  thing  that 
sounds  like  a  nick-name.  It's  a  bad  practice,  and  nothin' 
but  lubbers  and  marines  ever  does  such  things,"  replied 
Tom  sagely. 

Jack  had  his  doubts  upon  this  point,  though  he  did 
not  venture  to  express  them,  but  again  pressed  his  ques- 
tion. 

"  What  shall  you  do,  my  little  snivelling  milk-sop?  — 
what  shall  you  do  ? ' 

"Yes;  what  shall  I  do,  Tom?  That's  what  I  want 
to  know  ;  and,  if  you  don't  answer  pretty  soon,  the  boat- 
swain's whistle  will  cut  short  your  yarn,  as  it  did  yester- 
day." 

"  I'll  tell  you,  Jack.  Just  throw  your  ear-ports  wide 
open,  and  belay  that  frisky  little  tongue  of  yourn,  and 
I'll  tell  you  in  less  time  than  it  Avould  take  a  monkey  to 
run  up  the  main-to '-gallant-mast  backstay." 

"Blaze  away,  Tom !"  replied  Jack  impatiently. 

"  Ay,  ay,  my  lad  :  here  goes.  When  you're  mustered, 
and  Mr.  Bankhead  goes  round  lookin'  at  every  man 
from  keel  to  truck,  and  gazin'  down  into  his  peepers  as 
though  he'd  lost  his  jack-knife  down  them,  —  I  say,  my 
oily  little  butter-chops,  don't  you  do  so  much  as  wink  at 
him.  I  say,  Jack,  you  mustn't  know  Mr.  Bankhead 
from  Adam's  great-grandfather.  If  he  wants  to  know 
you,  he'll  tell  you  on't.  If  he  wants  to  shake  hands  with 


JACK    SOMERS    IN    THE    NAVY.  75 

you,  he  will  send  the  ship's  cook  to  let  you  know  it  three 
weeks  aforehaud,  so't  you  can  be  all  ready  for  the  honor 
that's  in  store  for  you.  Mind  that,  Jack ;  and  you've 
larnt  a  lesson  that'll  make  a  seaman  of  you." 

And  just  then  the  "  people  "  were  mustered,  and  Jack 
and  his  friends  tumbled  up  on  the  spar-deck  to  undergo 
the  scrutiny  of  the  executive  officer  of  the  Harrisburg. 


THE    SAIL  OK    SOT;    OR, 


CHAPTER   VH. 

THE    HARRISBURG. 

"T  was  fortunate  for  Jack  Somers,  that,  when  the 
crew  were  mustered  to  enable  the  officer  to  make 
his  selection,  he  was  prepared  by  the  lesson  of 
Tom  Longstone  for  his  interview  with  Mr.  Bank- 
head.  As  the  old  man-of-war's  man  had  suspected,  our 
sailor  had  fully  anticipated  a  very  cordial  greeting  from 
his  friend,  the  first-lieutenant  of  the  Harrisburg ;  and, 
without  the  explanation  he  had  received  upon  the  gun- 
deck,  he  would  have  been  very  much  hurt  by  the  cold 
and  stiff  manners  of  that  gentleman.  As  it  was,  he  ex- 
pected nothing  in  the  nature  of  a  courteous  acknowledg- 
ment of  their  former  acquaintance.  But  in  this  he  was 
happily  disappointed  ;  for  though  Mr.  Baukhead  did  not 
indulge  in  any  thing  like  familiarity  with  him,  and  did 
not  even  shake  hands  with  him,  he  was  greeted  with  a 
pleasant  smile,  which  was  sufficiently  significant  to  him. 
"  I  am  glad  to  see  you  again,  Jack,"  said  he,  in  ad- 
dition to  the  condescending  smile  which  made  our  sailor- 
boy  the  envy  of  a  score  of  blue-jackets  who  noticed  it. 
"  Of  course  you  will  go  with  me." 


JACK    SO  ME  MS    IN    THE    NA  VY.  77 

"  Thank  you,  sir,"  promptly  replied  Jack,  as  lie  touched 
his  cap  to  the  lieutenant  with  a  degree  of  respect  which 
exhibited  the  remarkable  progress  he  had  made  in  dis- 
cipline. 

"Where  are  your  friends,  Jack?"  added  Mr.  Bank- 
head. 

"  This  is  Tom  Longstone,  your  honor,"  answered 
Jack,  giving  an  extra  flourish  of  discipline  to  his  reply. 

Tom  was  accepted,  and  so  were  Blinks  and  Rushing- 
ton,  very  much  to  the  satisfaction  of  all  these  worthies  ; 
for  the  Harrisburg  was  a  crack  ship,  and  to  be  drafted 
into  her  was  a  stroke  of  good  fortune  worthy  the  highest 
appreciation  of  the  gallant  tars.  That  evening,  those 
who  were  selected  by  Mr.  Baukhead  were  sent  to  Phila- 
delphia in  charge  of  an  officer,  where  they  arrived  on  the 
following  day.  Jack  wrote  a  letter  to  his  mother  before 
his  departure  ;  but  he  had  no  opportunity  to  see  her. 
His  friends,  including  Captain  Barney,  had  been  to  see 
him  once  on  the  regular  visiting-day  ;  and  he  had  hoped 
that  they  would  come  again  before  his  departure.  He 
was-  disappointed  in  not  being  permitted  to  look  once 
more  upon  the  face  of  his  mother,  though  he  rejoiced  in 
the  prospect  of  soon  engaging  in  active  duty.  The  affec- 
tionate letter  which  Jack  wrote  to  her  no  doubt  assured 
her  that  he  was  still  the  same  loving  son  ;  that  the  new 
life  upon  which  lie  was  entering  had  not  blotted  from  his 
remembrance  the  hallowed  associations  of  home. 


78  THE    SAILOR    BOY;    OR, 

Jack  had  but  little  chance  to  see  either  New  York  or 
Philadelphia  on  his  journey :  but  he  was  more  desirous 
of  fighting  for  his  country  than  he  was  of  seeing  its  great 
cities  ;  more  inclined  to  think  of  the  active  career  before 
him,  than  of  the  vanities  and  pleasures  of  a  large  town. 
The  draft  of  seamen  was  duly  transferred  to  the  receiv- 
ing-ship at  the  navy-yard,  and  our  hero  again  found  him- 
self subjected  to  the  discipline  of  the  "  guardo." 

Fortunately  for  his  peace  of  mind,  he  was  not  long 
condemned  to  this  idle  and  distasteful  life.  The  Harris- 
burg  lay  at  anchor  near  the  receiving-ship,  —  a  beautiful 
vessel,  exhibiting  every  element  of  strength  and  endur- 
ance ;  and,  as  Jack  occasionally  glanced  through  the  open 
port  at  his  future  home,  he  admired  her  fair  lines,  and 
longed  for  the  time  when  he  should  be  transferred  to  her. 
The  welcome  order  came  in  due  time,  and  the  crew  of 
the  gallant  ship  were  sent  on  board. 

Jack  and  his  friends  were  disposed  to  give  three  cheers 
when  they  reached  the  deck  of  the  Harrisburg ;  but,  as 
this  would  have  been  a  breach  of  discipline,  it  was  not 
attempted.  Our  hero  soon  had  enough  to  think  of;  for 
the  executive  officer  immediately  mustered  the  men,  to 
give  them  their  stations,  and  assign  them  to  their  messes. 

On  board  a  man-of-war,  every  thing  is  arranged  with 
the  nicest  precision.  A  thorough  system  pervades  the 
ship,  and  every  thing  is  done  by  rule.  The  Harrisburg 
had  a  hundred  and  twenty  men  crowded  upon  her  spar- 


JACK    SOMEIiS    12?    THE   NAVY.  79 

deck  at  this  muster :  but  in  a  short  time,  under  the 
efficient  and  methodical  arrangement  of  Mr  Bankhead, 
order  came  out  of  chaos  ;  and,  when  he  had  finished  his 
work,  every  man  knew  where  he  belonged  during  each 
hour  of  the  day  and  night ;  where  he  was  lo  go  when  the 
ship  went  into  action ;  when  she  was  to  tack  or  wear ; 
when  the  sails  were  to  be  set,  furled,  or  reefed ;  where 
he  was  to  take  position  if  the  ship  caught  fire,  or  was 
boarded  by  an  enemy.  Every  one  knew  where  he  was 
to  eat  and  sleep,  where  he  was  to  stow  his  hammock  and 
clothes-bag,  and  every  thing  else  which  was  to  enable 
him  to  discharge  his  duty  as  one  of  the  wheels  in  the 
complicated  machine  of  which  he  was  an  essential  part, 

If  our  readers  are  not  familiar  with  ships,  we  shall 
find  it  very  difficult  to  make  them  comprehend  Jack 
Somcrs's  position  and  duties  on  board  the  Harrisburg ; 
but  we  shall  endeavor  to  give  them  some  ideas  upon  the 
subject.  A  ship,  and  especially  a  man-of-war,  is  a  com- 
plicated structure  ;  and  our  young  friends  must  not  expect 
any  more  than  a  partial  view  in  these  pages,  for  the 
whole  volume  would  be  no  more  than  sufficient  to  do 
justice  to  the  subject.* 

The   Ilarrisbury;  was   a    screw-steamer  of  about  two 


*  We  refer  those  who  are  curious  to  know  more  about  shlps-of-wnr  to 
Master  Brady's  "  Hedge  Anchor ; "  to  Herman  Melville's  "  White  Jacket, 
or  the  World  in  a  Man-of-War , "  and,  for  ships  in  general,  to  Mr.  DuuaV 
"  Seaman's  Friend.'* 


80  THE    SAILOR    BOY;     OK, 

thousand  tons  burden,  and  usually  denominated  a  sloop- 
of-war.  She  was  a  full-rigged  ship  ;  that  is,  she  had 
square  sails  on  her  fore,  main,  and  mizzen  mast,  and 
could  be  worked  under  sail  or  steam,  as  occasion  or 
necessity  might  require.  She  carried  twenty-eight  guns, 
all  of  which  were  placed  upon  her  upper  or  spar  deck. 
Some  large  men-of-war,  called  ships-of-the-line,  have 
four  decks.  The  Ohio,  in  which  Jack  had  spent  several 
weeks,  was  of  this  class.  The  upper  deck  is  then  called 
the  spar-deck  ;  the  next  below  it,  the  gun-deck  ;  the  third, 
the  berth-deck ;  and  the  fourth,  or  lowest  one,  the  orlop- 
deck. 

The  decks,  which  in  a  house  would  be  called  floors  or 
stories,  are  not  divided  off  into  rooms  ;  so  that,  forward 
of  the  officers'  cabins,  they  look  like  long  halls.  The 
square  holes,  or  windows,  through  which  the  muzzles  of 
the  cannon  are  pointed,  are  called  port-holes,  or  ports. 
They  are  closed  by  two  doors,  —  one  swinging  up,  and 
the  other  down. 

The  Harrisburg  had  two  decks,  properly  so  called,  — 
the  spar-deck  and  the  berth-deck.  On  the  former,  where 
the  guns  were  placed,  all  the  working  of  the  ship  is  done, 
as  well  as  the  fighting.  There  is  no  house  or  other 
structure  upon  it,  as  is  generally  seen  on  board  a  mer- 
chant-ship. Upon  the  berth-deck  the  men  eat  and  sleep. 
The  after-part  of  this  deck  contains  the  cabins  of  the 
officers.  The  captain  occupies  a  cabin  by  himself  in  the 


JACK    HOMERS    IN    THE    NAVY.  81. 

uttermost  part  of  the  ship  Next  forward  of  this  is  a 
large  apartment,  having  small  staterooms  on  each  side 
of  it,  called  the  wardroom,  which  "belongs  to  the  com- 
missioned officers  of  the  ship.  Next  to  the  wardroom 
is  an  apartment  called  the  steerage,  divided  into  two 
parts,  the  port  and  starboard  steerage,  in  which  live  the 
midshipmen  and  master's  mates,  the  assistant  engineers 
in  a  steamer,  and  the  "forward  officers," — viz.,  the 
boatswain,  gunner,  carpenter,  and  sailmaker.  Down 
in  the  bottom  of  the  ship  are  placed  the  boilers  and 
engines. 

The  hold,  or  place  under  the  berth-deck,  is  divided  into 
a  great  number  of  rooms ;  such  as  the  paintroom,  the  store- 
room, the  breadroom,  shot-locker,  shellroom,  sloproom, 
magazine,  lightroom,  coal-bunkers,  chain-loekers,  tier- 
gratings,  and  other  cells  and  holes.  The  magazine  con- 
tains the  powder,  and  is  lined  with  copper.  It  is  so 
constructed  that  it  can  be  filled  with  water — flooding 
the  magazine  —  when  the  ship  takes  fire.  No  man  is 
allowed  to  enter  it  unless  clothed  in  a  dress  prescribed 
for  this  duty,  with  no  nails  in  his  shoes,  or  metal  buttons 
upon  his  garments.  The  lightroom  adjoins  the  maga- 
zine, and  is  simply  a  small  room  to  hold  the  powerful 
reflecting-lamp,  which  throws  its  light  into  the  magazine 
through  a  large  pane  of  heavy  glass.  This  arrangement 
is  intended  to  prevent  the  necessity  of  taking  a  lantern 
into  the  magazine,  where  the  slightest  spark  might  doom 


82  THE    SAILOR    BOY;    OR, 

the  noble  ship  to  instant  destruction,  and  her  gallant 
crew  to  an  untimely  death. 

The  principal  officer  of  the  Ilarrisburg  w,as  the  cap- 
tain, whose  rank  in  the  navy,  at  the  time  of  which  we 
write,  was  that  of  commander.  Under  the  old  system, 
the  highest  grade  in  the  navy  was  captain,  who,  when  he 
commanded  a  squadron  (two  or  more  vessels)  was  called 
a  commodore  ;  but  this  title  was  not  authoritatively  rec- 
ognized in  the  Navy  Department.  A  captain  who  had 
been  in  command  of  a  fleet  or  squadron  was  thereafter 
called  "  commodore,"  as  a  mark  of  distinction,  in  the 
same  manner  that  a  member  of  Congress  keeps  his 
"Hon."  after  he  has  ceased  to  hold  his  office. 

Whatever  the  nominal  rank  of  the  chief  officer  of  a 
ship-of-war,  he  is  called  the  captain.  He  is  supreme  in 
his  command,  being  subject  only  to  his  orders  and  the 
naval  regulations.  Everybody  on  board  must  obey  his 
orders,  and  without  asking  any  questions.  Being  "  mon- 
arch of  all  he  surveys,"  he  does  not  give  his  orders  to  the 
men  who  are  to  execute  them,  but  to  the  first-lieutenant ; 
who  is  also  called  the  executive  officer,  because  it  is  his 
duty  to  execute  all  orders  from  the  captain.  For  exam- 
ple :  If  the  captain  wants  the  ship  put  upon  the  othor 
tack,  he  does  not  give  the  order,  "  Ready  about,"  to  the 
seamen ;  "  Put  your  helm  down,"  to  the  quartermaster 
who  cons  the  helm :  but  he  simply  directs  the  first-lieu- 
»enant  to  "  Come  in  stays  ; "  and  this  functionary  gives  the 


JACK    SO  ME  US    IN    THE    NAVY.  83 

various  orders  to  the  officers  and  men  who  are  to  exe- 
cute them. 

The  first-lieutenant  is  the  working  commander  of  the 
ship.  The  other  wardroom  officers  of  the  Harrisburg 
were  the  second,  third,  and  fourth  lieutenants,  the  sailing- 
master,  the  surgeon,  the  paymaster,  lieutenant  of  ma- 
rines, and  chief  engineer. 

The  ship's  company  are  divided  into  two  watches,  each 
of  which  serves  alternately  on  deck  for  four  hours  during 
the  day  and  night.  ,  At  all  times,  the  deck  is  in  charge  of 
an  officer ;  and  the  period  that  he  serves  is  called  his 
watch.  He  is  then  the  officer  of  the  deck.  The  first- 
lieutenant  does  not  keep  a  watch :  this  duty  is  performed 
.  in  turn  by  the  second,  third,  and  fourth  lieutenants,  and 
the  master.  For  ordinary  ship's  duty,  each  watch-officer 
serves  four  hours  on  deck,  and  twelve  below ;  but,  when 
all  hands  are  called,  every  officer  must  be  at  his  station, 
and  the  first-lieutenant  take  command  of  the  deck.  The 
master,  who  has  charge  of  the  navigation  of  the  ship,  is 
not  necessarily  a  watch-officer. 

The  surgeon,  besides  the  obvious  duty  of  such  an 
officer,  has  the  entire  charge  of  the  sanitary  condition  of 
the  ship.  He  not  only  prescribes  for  the  "  people"  when 
they  are  sick,  and  dresses  their  wounds  in  battle,  but  he 
must  inspect  the  ship  at  times,  and  report  any  thing 
which  may  tend  to  injure  the  health  of  the  crew. 

The    paymaster  —  formerly  called   the    purser  —  not 


84  THE    SAILOR    HOY;     OR, 

only  performs  the  duties  which  his  title  implies,  but  he 
has  the  charge  of  all  stores  and  goods,  clothing  and  pro- 
visions, belonging  to  the  Government,  on  board  the  ship. 
He  has  a  clerk  to  assist  him ;  for  he  must  keep  all  the 
accounts  with  the  officers  and  men,  charging  them  with 
clothing  or  other  stores  with  which  they  may  be  sup- 
plied, that  it  may  be  deducted  from  their  wages  when 
they  are  paid. 

The  lieutenant  of  marines  has  the  command  of  the 
marines,  or  soldiers,  on  board  the  ship,  of  whom  there 
were  twenty  in  the  Harrisburg.  These  men  are  em- 
ployed as  sentinels  in  various  parts  of  the  ship.  One 
is  always  stationed  at  the  wardroom  door,  one  at  the 
"  brig,"  and  one  at  the  scuttle-butt,  or  pump.  At  anchor, 
one  is  on  duty  at  the  gangway,  or  place  where  the  ship 
is  entered ;  and  one  on  the  forecastle.  Between  sailors 
and  marines  there  is  a  mortal  antipathy,  which  the  offi- 
cers do  not  seek  to  abate  ;  for  the  soldiers  are  depended 
upon  in  case  of  mutiny  and  insubordination. 

The  chief  engineer  has  the  sole  charge  of  the  engines 
and  boilers,  and  the  subordinate  engineers  are  under  his 
command.  On  board  our  ship  there  were  one  first, 
two  second,  and  four  third  assistant  engineers ;  these 
officers  having  the  actual  charge  of  the  engines,  keeping 
watch  like  the  other  officers  :  but  their  chief  does  not 
keep  a  watch. 

Master's  mates  and  midshipmen,  who  occupy  the  steer- 


JACK    SOMERS    IN    THE   NAVY.  85 

age,  are  aids  to  the  various  officers,  and  have  miscella- 
neous duties. 

The  forward  officers  are,  the  boatswain,  who  has 
charge  of  the  rigging  and  cordage  ;  the  gunner,. who  has 
charge  of  the  guns  and  ammunition  ;  the  carpenter,  who 
does  the  joinery-work  ;  and  the  sailmaker,  who  makes 
and  mends  sails.  The  boatswain  has  four  mates,  one  of 
whom  is  called  chief.  The  gunner  has  one  mate,  and 
one  quarter-gunner  for  each  division  of  three  guns  on  a 
side.  The  carpenter  and  sailmaker  have  each  one  mate, 
and  each  his  gang,  selected  from  the  crew. 

All  ranking  below  the  forward  officers  are  called  petty 
officers,  of  whom  there  is  a  host :  such  as  captain  of  the 
fore,  main,  or  mizsen  top  ;  captain  of  the  hold,  of  the 
forecastle,  of  the  after-guard  ;  quartermaster,  master-at- 
arms,  ship's  corporal,  yeoman,  arnwrer,  &c. 

Quartermasters  have  charge  of  the  wheel,  or  steering- 
apparatus,  of  the  signals,  and  of  the  lead.  The  master- 
at-arms  is  the  chief  of  police,  assisted  by  the  ship's  cor- 
porals. The  yeoman  has  charge  of  the  ordnance  and 
stores.  Each  of  the  boats  is  in  charge  of  a  petty  officer 
called  a  cockswain.  The  duties  of  the  other  petty  officer." 
will  be  understood  from  their  names. 


86  THE    SAILOR    BOY;    OS, 


CHAPTER    VIII. 

"ALL  HANDS,  UP  ANCHOR!" 

'ACK  SOMERS  had  a  very  correct  idea  of  the 
interior  of  a  man-of-war,  and  of  the  various  offi- 
cers and  their  duties,  when  he  went  on  board  the 
Harrisburg ;  but  he  was  not  a  little  confused  by 
the  many  numbers  he  had  to  remember,  which  were  used 
to  indicate  his  various  stations  at  the  guns  and  the  mess, 
on  deck,  in  the  top,  in  the  boat,  and  in  his  hammock. 

Ke  was  placed  in  the  starboard  watch,  stationed  in  the 
mizzen-top,  belonged  to  the  third  division  of  the  battery, 
attached  to  gun  No.  9,  was  first  loader,  and  second 
boarder.  In  furling  sails,  he  belonged  on  the  starboard- 
yard  arm  of  the  mizzen-top-gallant  yard.  In  reefing 
topsails,  his  place  was  on  the  port-yard-arm  of  the 
mizzen-topsail  yard.  In  tacking  or  wearing  ship,  his 
position  was  at  the  lee  main-brace.  In  loosing  sails,  his 
place  was  the  same  as  in  furling.  In  getting  up  the 
anchor,  his  duty  was  at  the  capstan.  In  boat,  he  pulled 
the  bow-oar  of  the  captain's  gig. 


JACK    SOMERS    IN    THE    NAVY.  87 

Jack  Somers  was  a  good  boy,  and  was  determined  to 
know  and  do  his  duty.  As  soon,  therefore,  as  he  had  a 
chance  to  sit  down  by,  himself,  he  began  to  think  over 
and  fix  in  his  mind  his  various  stations,  and  to  rehearse 
all  that  had  been  said  to  him.  But  he  found  that  he  had 
already  forgotten  some  of  his  numbers  ;  yet,  by  the  grace 
of  the  first-lieutenant,  he  was  permitted  to  consult  the 
station-bill,  a  document  in  which  the  position  of  every 
man  in  the  ship  is  recorded.  As  perseverance  always 
overcomes  every  obstacle,  he  soon  made  himself  pro- 
ficient in  all  his  numbers. 

While  the  ship  remained  at  her  moorings  in  the  river, 
the  crew  were  daily  exercised  in  their  various  duties, 
and  Jack  soon  became  practically  familiar  with  every 
thing  required  of  him.  After  he  had  been  on  board 
about  a  week,  the  proper  signal  was  hoisted,  every  fire 
and  light  in  the  ship  were  extinguished,  and  the  powder 
was  taken  in,  and  stowed  in  the  magazine. 

"  Now,  my  little  roisterer,  we  shall  soon  be  in  blue 
water,"  said  Tom  Longstone,  as  they  gathered  around 
the  mess-table  that  afternoon. 

"  The  sooner  the  better,"  replied  Jack.  "I  want  to 
taiid  by  that  gun  No.  9  when  she  pours  shot  and  shell 
juto  the  rebels  " 

"  You  will  have  a  chance  one  of  these  days',  my  ban- 
tam, if  you  are  patient." 

"  We  may  be  sent  off  on  blockade  duty,"  said  Ben 


88  THE    SAILOR    HOT;    OR, 

Blinks,  who,  by  some  contrivance  of  interested  parties, 
was  in  the  same  mess. 

"Then  we  shall  have  a  chance  to  gather  up  some 
"prize-money,"  added  Bob  Rushington,  who,  by  the  same 
contrivance,  was  a  member  of  mess  No.  4. 

"  I  should  like  the  prize-money  very  well,"  continued 
Jack ;  "  but  I  don't  like  the  idea  of  hugging  a  sand-bar 
for  the  next  six  months." 

"  Well,  my  hearties,  old  Tom  ain't  no  prophet :  but  I 
really  don't  think  this  ship  is  going  on  the  blockade ; 
and,  if  she  don't  have  some  rebel  shot  through  her  in  less 
than  three  months,  I'm  content  to  give  half  my  grub  to 
the  jollies." 

"  Where  do  you  suppose  we  are  bound?"  asked  Ben. 

"  Don't  know  ;  don't  care  :  but  this  ship  ain't  a-going 
to  burrow  in  the  mud,  no  how.  Now,  mind  what  old 
Tftm  says,  and  write  it  down  in  your  log-book." 

It  was  quite  impossible  to  tell  whether  Tom  was  right 
or  wrong :  but  his  words  were  accepted  for  all  and  more 
than  they  were  worth  ;  for  the  speaker  was  a  kind  of 
oracle  among  the  seamen,  on  account  of  his  long  expe" 
rience  in  the  service.  The  next  morning,  the  engineers 
and  firemen  were  observed  to  be  very  busy ;  and  soon  the 
smoke  was  seen  to  issue  from  the  smoke-stack.  The 
fires  roared  for  several  hours  in  the  furnaces,  and  the 
steam  hissed  in  accord  with  the  impatience  of  the  crew 
to  be  off. 


JACK    SOMERS    IN    THE    NAVY.  89 

After  Jack's  patience  had  been  sorely  tried  by  the  long 
delay,  he  welcomed  with  a  thrill  of  delight  the  pipe  of 
the  boatswain. 

"  All  hands,  up  anchor  !  " 

It  seemed  to  him  just  as  though  the  beginning  of  all 
things  had  come,  and  he  sprang  to  his  station  at  the  cap- 
stan. The  first-lieutenant  was  now  in  charge  of  the 
deck :  he  had  received  his  orders  from  the  captain,  and 
was  proceeding  to  the  systematic  execution  of  the  details. 
The  second-lieutenant  was  on  the  foi-ecastle,  with  the 
boatswain  near  him.  The  third-lieutenant  was  iu  the 
waist,  and  the  fourth  on  the  quarter-deck,  near  the  miz- 
zen-mast.  These  were  the  stations  which  these  officers 
took  when  any  manoauvre  which  required  all  hands  was 
to  be  executed. 

"  Ship  the  capstan-bars  !  "  said  the  first-lieutenant. 

The  order  was  repeated  by  his  subordinates  ;  and  all 
the  sailors  assigned  to  this  duty  seized  the  bars,  and  in- 
serted them  in  the  drum  of  the  capstan. 

"Bring-to,  forward!"  continued  the  executive  officer; 
which  order  was  repeated  by  his  juniors  as  before. 

Our  non-nautical  readers  will  not,  perhaps,  understand 
this  command  ;  and  we  will  try  to  Vender  it  into  English. 
The  cable  to  which  the  anchor  is  attached,  and  which 
holds  the  ship  to  the  bottom,  is  a  very  large  iron  chain. 
A  rope,  called  the  "messenger,"  is  attached  to  this  chain 
by  a  contrivance  called  a  "  selvagee."  The  messenger 


90  THE    SAILOR    BOY;    OR, 

extends  from  the  cable  to  the  capstan,  around  which  it  is 
passed  several  times.  When  the  capstan  is  turned  by 
the  men,  of  course  it  winds  up  the  messenger,  and  hauls 
in  the  chain  fastened  to  the  anchor.  "Bring-to,  for- 
ward," was  the  order  requiring  the  men  to  attach  the 
messenger  to  the  cable,  and  pass  it  around  the  capstan. 

"Are  you  ready  forward?"  shouted  the  first-lieutenant, 
after  he  had  waited  a  sufficient  time  for  his  former  order 
to  be  executed. 

"All  ready  forward,  sir !"  responded  the  second-lieu- 
tenant. 

"  Walk  round  with  the  capstan  !  "  added  the  first-lieu- 
tenant. 

The  men  went  round  with  a  will ;  and  Jack  would  fain 
have  sung  his  "  Yo-heave-oh  ! "  as  he  had  been  accustomed 
to  do  at  the  windlass  on  board  his  father's  vessel :  but  the 
"  people  "  of  a  man-of-war  are  required  to  execute  their 
duties  in  silence.  The  music  of  a  fife,  playing  Yankee 
Doodle,  as  an  accompaniment  to  the  movement,  was, 
however,  some  consolation,  and  assisted  him  very  much 
in  keeping  the  needed  "  stopper  on  his  jaw-tackle." 

"Anchor  away,  sir!"  said  the  boatswain,  who  was 
on  the  forecastle,  ready  to  report  what  progress  the  cum- 
brous anchor  was  making  in  its  passage  upward  to  the 
regions  of  daylight. 

"Anchor  away,  sir  !  "  repeated  the  second-lieutenant. 

"  Strike  one  bell ! "  continued  the  first-lieutenant,  ad- 


JACK    SOMEIiS    IN    THE    NAVY.  91 

dressing  the  quartermaster,  who  was  stationed  at  the 
wheel. 

Old  Tom  Longstone,  who  was  in  charge  of  the  wheel, 
struck  one  bell,  which  was  the  signal  for  the  engineer  on 
duty  to  "go  ahead  slowly." 

"  Anchor's  up,  sir ! "  added  the  boatswain,  after  the 
men  had  walked  round  the  capstan  a  while  longer. 

"Anchor's  up,  sir!"  repeated  the  second-lieutenant. 

"  Pawl  the  capstan  !  "  ordered  the  first-lieutenant ; 
which  meant  that  it  was  to  be  secured,  so  as  to  keep 
the  anchor  where  it  was.  "  Unship  the  capstan-bars  !  " 

This  order  was  repeated  by  the  under-officers,  and  exe- 
cuted in  good  order  by  the  men.  There  was  no  crowding 
or  treading  upon  each  other's  corns  ;  but  every  one  knew 
his  place,  and  did  not  get  in  anybody's  way. 

"  Cat  the  anchor  !  "  said  the  first-lieutenant. 

The  ponderous  anchor  was  now  hanging  at  the  hawse- 
hole  ;  and  the  execution  of  the  order  last  given  would" 
secure  it  -  upon  the  top  of  the  bulwarks,'  ready  to  be 
dropped  overboard  when  occasion  should  again  require 
its  use. 

"  Lay  forward  to  the  cat-falls  !  "  said  the  boatswain  ; 
and  those  whose  duty  it  was  to  do  this  work  attached  a 
purchase-block  to  the  anchor,  for  the  purpose  of  hoisting 
it  up  to  the  cat-head,  which  is  a  timber  projecting  out 
over  the  bow  of  the  ship. 

'  All  ready  with  the  cat,  sir ! "  reported  the  second- 
lieutenant. 


92  THE    SAILOR    HOY;    OR, 

"  Walk  away  with  the  cat ! "  replied  the  executive 
officer. 

On  board  a  man-of-war,  the  ropes  are  not  pulled  hand 
over  hand  ;  but  the  men  walk  away  with  them  :  that  is, 
they  run  along  the  deck  with  them  as  firemen  do  with 
the  engine. 

"  Strike  four  bells  !  "  continued  the  first-lieutenant  to 
the  quarter-master  at  the  wheel ;  which  meant.  "  Go 
ahead  at  full  speed  ! " 

The  Harrisburg  was  now  actually  in  motion,  and  glid- 
ing down  the  Delaware  upon  her  mission  of  destruction 
among  the  rebels  ;  if,  indeed,  such  was  her  mission  :  for 
none  of  the  crew  had  the  remotest  idea  where  the  good 
ship  was  bound,  or  upon  what  kind  of  duty  she  was 
ordered.  If  the  officers  knew,  they  did  not  condescend 
to  inform  the  men  ;  for  the  "  people  "  are  as  far  removed 
from  their  superiors  in  social  rank  in  the  ship,  as  though 
they  were  not  all  equals  before  the  democratic  law  of  our 
land. 

"  Here  we  are ! "  said  Jack  enthusiastically,  -as  he 
placed  himself  by  the  side  of  Bob  Rushington,  who  was 
gazing  through  one  of  the  open  ports  into  the  water. 

"  Yes,  my  lad,  we  are  off,"  replied  the  dandy  sailor, 
who  looked  very  sad  and  sentimental  for  the  moment. 
"  Has  it  occurred  to  you  that  not  every  one  who  is  full 
of  life  and  hope  to-day  will  return  alive  and  well  from 
this  cruise  ?  " 


JACK    SOMERS    IN    THE    NAVY.  93 

"  Well,  I  hadn't  thought  any  thing  about  it,"  replied 
Jack  with  a  smile,  as  he  glanced  at  the  wry  face  of  his 
friend,  "and,  what's  more,  I  don't  mean  to  think  any 
thing  about  it." 

"  You  are  a  thoughtless  boy,"  sighed  Bob.  "  Some 
of  us  will  lose  the  number  of  our  mess  before  many 
weeks  have  passed  by  " 

"  Very  likely,  Bob  :  but  we  are  going  out  to  fight  for 
our  country ;  and,  if  we  are  uot  ready  to  die  for  her.  we 
have  no  business  here." 

"  Very  true,  my  lad ;  but  the  future  is  dark  and  un- 
communicative." 

"  Come,  Bob,  you  splice  too  many  syllables  on  your 
words.  You  are  a  brave  fellow,  and  ready  to  do  your 
duty." 

"  I  trust  I  am  ;  but  sad  thoughts  come  like  the  autumn 
of  the  year." 

"Avast  there,  Bob!"  said  Ben  Blinks.  "Don't 
frighten  the  lad." 

"He  doesn't  frighten  me,"  added  Jack.  "I  put  my 
trust  in  God  ;  and,  come  what  may,  I  know  it  will  be  all 
right  with  me  as  long  as  I  do  my  duty  to  my  God  and 
my  country  " 

"  Why,  darken  my  toplights,  if  the  lad  don't  talk  like 
a  parson  ! "  said  Ben. 

But,  while  they  were  laughing  at  Jack  for  his  pious 
expression  of  faith,  the  drum  beat  to  quarters ;  and,  in  a 


94  THE    SAILOR    BOY;    OR, 

moment  more,  the  great  guiis  were  belching  forth  the 
customary  salute.  This  was  a  new  experience  to  our 
sailor-boy ;  for,  though  he  had  been  through  with  all  the 
forms  of  firing  the  guns,  he  had  not  before  heard  them 
"  speak."  The  sound  was  perfectly  stunning  :  but  Jack 
was  a  lad  of  too  much  spirit  to  exhibit  any  signs  of  dis- 
like ;  and,  though  he  could  not  hear  himself  speak,  he . 
worked  like  an  old  man-of-war's  man  at  his  post. 

The  Harrisburg  continued  on  her  course  down  the 
river  under  steam  alone.  The  strict  discipline  of  sea 
service  commenced,  and  every  thing  went  along  on  board  » 
like  clockwork.  The  regular  watches  were  set ;  and  the 
second-lieutenant,  who  was  the  officer  of  the  deck,  walked 
up  and  down  on  the  weather-side,  upon  which  .no  idlers, 
and  no  officers  or  men  not  on  duty,  were  permitted  to 
intrude. 

In  a  ship-of-war,  as  in  a  merchant-vessel,  the  twenty- 
four  hours  are  divided  into  watches  of  four  hours  each. 
Commencing  at  eight  o'clock  in  the  evening,  the  star- 
board watch  is  on  duty  till  twelve.  At  half-past  eight, 
one  bell  is  struck  ;  at  nine,  two  bells  ;  and  so  on  till  the 
end  of  the  watch,  when  eight  bells  indicate  the  time  for 
the  port  watch  to  relieve  the  other. 

The  port  watch  is  then  on  duty  till  eight  bells,  or  four 
o'clock  in  the  morning.  From  four  till  eight  is  the 
morning  watch  ;  from  eight  till  twelve  is  the  forenoon 
watch ;  from  twelve  till  four  is  the  afternoon  watch . 


JACK    SOMERS    IN    TIIR    NAVY.  95 

From  four  till  eight  are  the  "  dog-watches  ; "  that  is,  the 
four  hours  are  divided  into  two  watches  of  two  hours 
each.  By  this  arrangement,  the  watch  which  came  on 
duty  at  eight  o'clock  the  preceding  night  will  be  below 
during  the  first  part  of  the  night.  If  it  were  not  for  the 
dog-watches,  the  starboard  Avatch  would  be  on  duty  every 
night  during  the  cruise  from  eight  till  twelve,  and  again 
from  four  till  eight  in  the  morning,  thus  obtaining  but 
four  hours'  sleep  each  night ;  while  the  port  Avatch  would 
sleep  every  night  from  eight  till  twelve,  and  from  four 
till  seven  in  the  morning.  By  the  change  which  the  half- 
watches  introduce,  every  man  obtains  four  hours'  sleep 
on  watch-nights,  and  seven  hours  on  other  nights. 

At  four  o'clock,  when  the  hands  were  piped  to  supper, 
the  Harrisburg  was  off  Cape  Henlopen,  and  standing  oul 
to  sea. 


96  THE    SAILOR    BOY;    OR, 


CHAPTER    IX. 

"  ALL   HANDS,    MAKE    SAIL  !  " 

UPPER  comes  at  four  o'clock,  in  the  dog- 
watches :  rather  an  early  hour,  when  it  is 
remembered  that  Jack  pipes  to  breakfast  at 
eight  bells,  or  eight  o'clock  in  the  morning. 
The  three  meals  are  taken  within  the  space  of  eight 
hours  ;  leaving  sixteen  hours  between  supper  and  break- 
fast. Jack  Somers  did  not  like  the  arrangement  very 
well ;  but  custom  adapts  us  to  every  emergency,  and  he 
soon  learned  to  lay  in  a  stock  of  grub  which  would  last 
him  two-thirds  of  a  day. 

"  All  hands  make  sail,  ahoy  !  "  shouted  the  boatswain, 
as  his  shrill  whistle  rang  through  the  ship  after  the  men 
had  concluded  their  evening  meal. 

"  Lay  aloft,  topmen ! "  was  the  first  order  given  by 
Mr.  Bankhead,  which  was  repeated  by  other  officers  at 
their  stations.  "  Lower-yard  men  in  the  chains  ! " 

The  topmen  ran  up  the  shrouds,  while  the  lower-yard 
men  placed  themselves  in  position  to  do  so  when  the 
order  should  be  given. 


JACK    SOMERS    IN    THE    NAVY.  97 

"  Aloft,  lower-yard  men  !  "  added  the  executive  officer 
at  the  right  time.  "  Mail  the  boom  tricing-lines  !  " 

The  studding-sail  booms  are  spars  which  extend  out 
beyond  the  yard-arms,  when  used ;  but,  when  the  sails 
are  furled,  they  lie  upon  the  top  of  them.  The  boom 
tricing-lines  are  attached  to  the  inner  ends  of  these  spars, 
by  which  they  may  be  hauled  up  so  as  to  get  them  out 
of  the  way,  and  enable  the  men  to  work  upon  the  sail. 

"  Trice  up  !  "  continued  Mr.  Bankhead  ;  which  order, 
as  usual,  was  repeated  by  the  proper  officers. 

"  Lay  out !  "  he  added,  when  the  studding-sail  booms 
were  out  of  the  men's  way  ;  and,  in  obedience  to  the  com- 
mand, they  extended  themselves  along  the  whole  length 
of  the  several  yards,  standing  upon  the  foot-ropes,  aud 
holding  on  to  the  sail  or  ropes  with  the  hands. 

Jack  Somers,  as  we  have  before  stated,  in  loosing  sails, 
belonged  upon  the  mizzen  top-gallant  yard,  which  is  the 
third  cross-spar  from  the  deck  ;  and,  further,  his  place 
was  at  the  starboard  yard-arm,  which  is  the  end  of  the 
spar,  on  the  right-hand  side  of  the  ship,  looking  forward. 
He  was  as  much  interested  in  the  operation  as  though 
he  had  been  in  command  of  the  ship  ;  for  it  was  the  first 
time  he  had  performed  the  duty  when  it  really  meant 
something. 

"  Loose  !  "  said  Mr.  Bankhead  ;  and,  at  the  Avord,  the 
men  "passed  the  gasket,"  which  is  a  rope  \vound  round 
the  sail,  to  confine  it  to  the  yard  when  furled. 


98  THE    SAILOR    BOY;    OR, 

"  All  ready  in  the  mizzen-top  ! "  added  the  captain  of 
the  top,  when  the  operation  was  performed ;  and  the  men 
•stood  holding  the  sails  in  place  upon  the  yard. 

The  captains  of  the  main-top  and  of  the  fore-top  in- 
dicated, in  like  manner,  that  they  were  all  ready  for  the 
next  order ;  and",  when  the  lieutenants  upon  deck  had. 
reported  the  fact  to  the  executive  officer,  he  proceeded 
with  the  rnano3uvre. 

"  Let  fall ! "  and,  at  the  word,  all  the  sails  to  be  set 
were  shaken  out  at  the  same  moment,  and  dropped  down 
from  the  yards. 

"  Overhaul  your  rigging  aloft !  "  proceeded  Mr.  Bank- 
head  ;  and  his  order,  translated  into  the  shore  vernacular, 
meant  that  the  men  on  the  yards  were  to  aiTange  the 
sheets,  btmtlines,  clewlines,  and  other  ropes,  so  that  they 
would  work  freely,  or  not  impede  the  progress  of  the  sail 
when  it  should  be  hoisted  up. 

"Man  your  sheets  and  halyards  ! "  was  the  next  com- 
mand. 

The  sheets  are  the  ropes  on  the  topsails,  by  which  they 
are  hauled  down  to  the  yards.  For  example,  —  the  miz- 
zen-top-gallant  sail  was  fastened  to  the  mizzeu-top-gallaut 
yard,  upon  which  our  hero  was  stationed.  Attached  io 
the  lower  corners  of  this  sail  were  two  ropes,  passing  over 
a  sheave,  or  pulley,  in  the  mizzen-topsail  yard.  These 
two  ropes  were  the  sheets  ;  and,  when  the  sail  is  set,  they 
are  drajvu  tight,  to  keep  it  in  place. 


-       JACK    SOME11S    IN    THE    NAVY.  99 

All  the  yards  of  the  ship,  except  the  lower  one  on  each 
mast,  slide  up  and  down.  When  the  sails  Avere  loosed, 
the  yards  were  down.  The  rope  attached  to  the  yard, 
passing  over  a  sheave  set  in  the  mast,  by  which  the  spar 
is  hoisted  up,  is  called  a  halyard.  Any  rope  by  which  a 
sail  is  hoisted  is  called  a  halyard. 

When  the  men  appointed  for  the  purpose  had  taken 
hold  of  the  sheets  and  halyards,  the  various  officers  re- 
ported that  they  were  ready. 

"  Haul  well  taut !  "  said  Mr.  Bankhead. 

The  effect  of  the  execution  of  this  order  was  to  bring 
every  thing  to  its  bearings.. 

"  Let  go,  and  overhaul  your  rigging  aloft !  "  continued 
the  first-lieutenant. 

"  Sheet  home,  and  hoist  away  !  " 

At  this  order  the  yards  were  hoisted  up,  and  the  sheets 
hauled  down  to  their  places.  The  operation  was  thus 
completed  ;  the  ropes,  with  a  whole  vocabulary  of  caba- 
listic names  to  designate  them,  were  belayed  and  flem- 
ished down  ;  and  every  thing  was  in  apple-pie  order. 

At  eight  bells  in  the  evening,  the  starboard  watch  went 
on  duty  ;  and  Jack,  muffled  up  in  his  pea-jacket,  came  on 
deck.  The  wind  was  blowing  a  stiff  breeze;  and.  the 
Harrisburg,  under  sail  and  steam,  was  driving  through 
the  great  waves  of  the  Atlantic  at  the  rate  of  twelve 
knots  an  hour.  On  board  a  man-of-war,  men  arc  sta- 
tioned at  all  times  in  the  tops  ;  which  are  the  platforms 


100  THE    SAILOR    BOY;    OR, 

on  the  masts,  just  above  the  lower  yards.  In  large  ships, 
they  are  capacious  enough  to  hold  quite  a  squad  of  men, 
•vvho  are  on  duty  there  in  readiness  to  perform  any  ser- 
vice that  may  be  required  of  them. 

The  topmen  of  the  starboard  and  port  watches  are 
each  divided  into  first  and  second  parts,  called  "  quarter 
watches,"  one  of  which  relieves  the  other  in  the  tops  at 
the  appointed  time.  When  Jack  came  on  deck  at  eight 
bells,  —  as  he  belonged  to  the  first  part  of  the  starboard 
watch  of  mizzen-topmeu,  —  his  place  was  in  this  airy 
perch  above  the  deck.  It  was  a  very  safe  and  comforta- 
ble position,  notwithstanding  any  prejudice  "which  our 
shore  friends  might  have  against  such  an  elevated  roost- 
ing-place,  in  a  dark  night,  and  in  a  rolling  sea,  when  the 
ship  pitches  so  that  a  landsman  would  hardly  be  able  to 
keep  his  feet  on  deck,  much  less  in  the  tops,  where  the 
motion  of  the  vessel  is  more  sensibly  experienced. 

Jack  Somers  had  his  sea-legs  on,  and  felt  perfectly  at 
home  on  the  topgallant-yard  arm,  in  the  tops,  and  in  his 
close  quarters  on  the  berth-deck.  In  fact,  he  had  made 
up  his  mind  to  be  a  good  seaman,  and  to  conduct  himself 
like  a  true  patriot.  The  honor  and  glory  of  the  Ameri- 
can flag  on  board  the  Harrisburg  had  been  intrusted  to 
him,  in  common  with  about  a  hundred  and  fifty  others ; 
and  he  was  fully  alive  to  the  responsibility  "which  this 
trust  imposed  upon  him.  He  had  braced  himself  up  to 
endure  any  discomforts  and  hardships  which  this  new 


JACK   SOMERS    IN    THE    NAVY.  101 

positi'on  might  impose  upon  him  ;  and  he  was  not  likely 
to  be  dismayed  by  a  gale  of  wind  or  a  sharp  set-to  with 
a  rebel  battery,  much  less  by  the  ordinary  life  of  a  man- 
of-war's  man. 

Jack  took  his  place  in  the  mizzen-top :  and,  as  he  as- 
cended the  rigging,  he  began  to  think  of  home ;  for  this 
was  his  first  night  at  sea,  and  his  thoughts  naturally  re- 
verted to  his  mother's  cottage  m  Pinchbrook.  He  often 
thought,  in  his  leisure  moments,  of  the  blessed  associa- 
tions which  cluster  around  the  abiding-place  of  parents 
and  brothers  and  sisters.  It  was  a  blessed  influence 
which  these  reflections  exerted  upon  his  mind  and  heart. 
They  preserved  him  pure  and  unsullied  from  the  contam- 
inations which  surrounded  him  ;  for,  with  many  true  and 
good  men  in  the  ship,  there  were  those  of  low  and  vile 
tastes,  who  lived  only  for  the  joys  of  the  present  moment. 
Thus  far,  our  sailor-boy  had  set  his  face  and  his  heart 
against  the  vices  and  sins  of  his  more  debased  ship- 
mates. 

Of  the  friends  that  Jack  had  made  on  board  the  re- 
ceiving-ship, there  was  only  one  among  his  topmates, — 
Bob  Rushington.  All  three  of  them  had  been  rated  as 
petty  officers  ;  for  they  were  really  superior  hands.  Bob 
v,  as  a  captain  of  the  mizzcn-top,  Ben  Blinks  was  a  cap- 
tain of  the  main-top,  and  Tom  Longstone  was  a  quarter- 
master. 

"What  are  you  thinking  about,  Jack?"  said   Bob, 


102  THE    SAILOR    BOY,    OR, 

when  they  had  been  in  the  lop  about  half  an  hour,  dur- 
ing which  time  his  companions  had  been  carrying  on  a 
conversation  in  a  low  tone. 

"  I  was  thinking  of  home,"  replied  Jack. 

"  Wishing  you  were  there,"  added  Bob. 

"  No  :  not  exactly." 

"  You  ought  to  brought  your  ma  with  you,"  added 
Sam  Becket  with  a  low*  chuckling  laugh. 

"I'm  not  homesick,  —  I  hope,  not  yet,"  said  Jack; 
"  but  it  is  pleasant  to  think  of  home." 

"  So  it  is  —  to  babies,"  sneered  Sam.  "You  haven't 
got  larn't  yet,  my  lad." 

"  I  never  shall  learn  to  forget  my  home." 

"Yes,  you  will ;  just  clew  down  your  ideas,  and  be  a 
man-of-war's  man.  Milk  for  babies,  rum  for  men,  my 
lad.  Have  you  got  any  coppers  in  your  pocket,  my 
boy?" 

"  I  have  three,"  answered  Jack,  thrusting  his  hand 
down  into  the  depths  of  his  trousers-pocket.  "  Do  you 
want  them?" 

"  Perhaps  I  do  :  that  will  depend  upon  circumstances. 
Do  you  see  my  hand,  Jack,"  said  Sam  Becket;  "if  you 
can't,  you  can  feel  it :  there  it  is." 

"Well,  what  of  it?" 

"  Odd  or  even?"  continued  Sam. 

"  Odd,"  replied  Jack,  not  understanding  the  purpose 
of  his  companion.  » 


JA  C'/i    SO  ME  US    /AT    THE    NAVY.  103 

"  Odd  it  is :  there  are  three  of  'em,  and  they  are 
yours  ; "  and  Sam  took  Jack's  hand,  and  attempted  to 
place  the  cents  in  it. 

"  What  do  you  mean  by  that?"  demanded  our  hero. 

"  What  do  I  mean  ?  Don't  you  know  a  boom  from 
a  bobstay?  You  said  odd,  and  the  coppers  are  yours. 
You  won  them." 

"  Won  them !  "  exclaimed  Jack :  "I  don't  want  to 
gamble." 

"  Hush  up  !  Do  you  want  to  tell  the  officer  of  the 
deck  what  we  are  about ! "  protested  Sam  in  an  energetic 
whisper. 

"  I'm  perfectly  willing  to  tell  him  what  I'm  about." 

"  Well,  you  young  monkey,  I  'should  think  you  were 
hailing  a  frigate  in  a  nor'-wester.  You  are  as  green  as  a 
yaller  squash-bug.  Here,  take  the  coppers  :  they  belong 
to  you  ;  you  won  them." 

"  I  never  gamble,"  repeated  Jack  resolutely,  but  in  a 
lower  tone  than  before. 

"  Take  'em,  Jack,  or  you're  my  enemy." 

"  I  cannot  take  them.  I'd  rather  go  into  the  brig  for 
a  week  than  gamble  for  a  single  cent." 

"Silence  in  the  mizzen-top!"  said  Mr.  Midshipman 
Dickey,  who  had  been  pacing  the  lee-side  of  the  quarter- 
deck in  the  capacity  of  aide-de-camp  to  Mr.  Granger,  the 
the  deck. 


104  THE    SAILOR    BOY;    OR, 

"  There,  you  young  milksop  !  "  said  Sam  in  an  angry 
whisper.  "Do  you  see  Avhat  you  have  done?" 

"  Avast  there,  Becket ! "  interposed  the  captain  of  the 
top.  "  Don't  get  up  a  quarrel  Avith  the  lad.  Pie  means 
right." 

"  I  won't  have,  no  quarrel  with  him  ;  but  he  won  tho 
money,  and  he  must  take  it,  or  he  is  my  enemy." 

"  Friend  or  enemy,  I  won't  take  your  money,"  added 
Jack  firmly,  as  he  settled  his  hack  against  the  mizzen- 
topmast  rigging,  and  folded  his  arms  as  if  to  prevent 
the  coppers  which  he  had  inadvertently  won  from  heing 
thrust  upon  him  by  force. 

"  Won't  take  'em  :  won't  ye,  my  hearty?  " 

"  No,  I  will  not :  I  did  not  mean  to  win  them." 

"Didn't  mean  to?  Don't  you  knoAv  what  odd  and 
even  means  ?  " 

"  I  didn't  know  it  meant  gambling." 

"All  I  got  to  say  is,  that  I  take  it  as  an  insult." 

*'  I  did  not  mean  to  insult  you." 

"  Then  take  the  coppers." 

"  I  can't  do  that." 

"  Take  the  coppers,  and  giA-e  me  a  chance  to  Avin  'em 
back,  and  then  we'll  call  it  square.  After  that,  if  you 
want  to  go  about  on  the  other  tack,  all  right." 

"  I  will  not  gamble  to  please  you  or  any  other  man." 

"  Very  well,  my  hearty :  I'll  sanre  you  out  for  this. 
There's  two  Avays  to  insult  a  seaman  :  one  is  not  to  drink 


JACK    COMERS    IN    THE  NAVY.  105 

his  grog  when  he  axes  you ;  and  t'other  is  not  to  take 
his  money  when  you've  won  it.  You  insulted  me,  Jack 
Somers ;  and  I'll  sarve  you  out  the  first  time  the  wind 
comes  from  the  right  quarter.  D'ye  hear,  ye  little  sniv- 
elling rat-catcher?  Why  didn't  you  bring  your  ma  with 
you  to  keep  you  from  falling  overboard  ?  " 

"Because  I  can  take  care  of  myself,  and  because  I 
want  to  keep  my  mother  out  of  bad  company,"  replied 
Jack  sharply. 

"  Bad  company  !  What  do  you  mean  by  that,  you  lit- 
tle splatteYbrains  ?  Did  you  mean  me  ?  " 

"  I  didn't  mean  anybody  else  in  the  mizzen-top,"  an- 
swei'ed  Jack  in  a  low  but  stiff  tone. 

"Did  ye?  Then  I'll  smash  your  toplights ! "  said 
Sam,  springing  forward,  apparently  with  the  intention  of 
inflicting  summary  vengeance  upon  his  topmate. 

"Avast  there,  Becket !  Now,  batten  down  your  gab- 
port,  and  don't  say  another  word.  The  lad  has  the  rig'hts 
of  it.  If  he  don't  want  to  play,  he  needn't.  It's  agin 
all  orders  to  play  on  board.  Now  let  him  alone,"  inter- 
posed Bob  Rushington,  taking  the  angry  seaman  by  the 
arm. 

"I'll  be"  — 

"  Belay  all ! "  said  the  captain  of  the  top  firmly.  "  If 
you  say  another  word  about  it,  I'll  report  you  to  the  olfi- 
cer  of  the  deck." 

Becket,  in  the  face  of  this  threat,  did  not  dare  to  pur- 


106  TJ1E    SAILOR    BOY;    OK, 

sue  his  vindictive  measures  any  further  ;  and,  during  the 
remainder  of  the  watch  in  the  top,  Jack  was  permitted  to 
consider  without  interruption  the  enormity  of  the  vice  of 
gambling,  and  the  results  to  which  it  inevitably  leads. 


JACK    SOMERS    IN    TEE   NAVY.  107 


CHAPTER  X. 

"  MAN  OVERBOARD ! " 

(*T^U     LL  the    starboard  watch,  ahoy ! "    shouted  the    * 

J\  boatswain's  chief  mate,  at  eight  bells,  on  the 
^^•/%'  following  morning. 

Jack-  rubbed  his  eyes  open  as  quick  as  he 
could,  and  slipped  out  of  his  hammock ;  for  the  first 
thing  that  came  to  his  mind  was  his  resolution  always 
to  be  prompt  and  faithful  in  the  discharge  of  his  duties. 
As  he  tumbled  up  the  ladder,  and  made  his  way  aft  to 
the  mizzen-rigging  to  relieve  the  quarter-watch  in  the 
top,  he  saw  that  Sam  Becket  was  the  next  man  before 
him.  This  circumstance  recalled  the  incident  of  the  pre- 
ceding evening,  especially  as  he  saw  the  man  who  had 
promised  to  be  his  enemy  glancing  over  his  shoulder  at 
him.  It  was  still  quite  dark  ;  but  Jack  saw,  or  thought 
he  saw,  a  very  malignant  expression  in  the  countenance 
of  his  topmate. 

He  was  determined  not  to  give  Becket  any  cause  of 
offence,  and  therefore  kept  well  away  from  him.  He 
permitted  his  enemy  to  mount  the  rail,  and  go  up  several. 


108  THE    SAILOR    BOY;-  OR, 

ratlins,  before  he  ventured  to  follow  him,  fearful  that  the 
gambler  would  attempt  to  "  sarve  him  out"  by  treading 
upon  his  hands  as  he  went  aloft,  or  kicking  him  in  the 
head. 

"  Lively,  Jack,  lively ! "  said  Bob  Rushington,  who 
was  next  behind  him. 

"Ay,  ay,  Bob  ;  but  I  mean  to  give  my  enemy  a  wide 
berth." 

"  Heave  ahead,  Jack  !  Don't  stop  there  !  "  added  the 
captain  of  the  top  ;  for  our  sailor-boy  had  halted  for  a 
moment  till  his  dangerous  companion  should  get  out  of 
his  way. 

At  that  instant,  Jack  felt  the  whole  weight  of  Beckct 
come  down  upon  him,  and  his  hold  upon  the  shrouds  was 
wrenched  off.  The  instinct  of  self-preservation  prompted 
him  to  seize  the  nearest  object,  which  happened  to  be 
the  long  legs  of  Sam  Becket.  The  additional  strain 
Upon  the  hands  of  that  worthy  was  more  than  he  was 
competent  to  sustain  ;  and  Jack,  realizing  that  he  had 
grasped  an  insecure  substance,  released  his  hold,  and, 
recovering  his  balance,  leaped  down  upon  the  quarter- 
deck of  the  ship. 

Sam  Becket,  unable  to  obtain  a  new  hold  upon  the 
rigging,  was  pitched  over  backwards  into  the  sea.  Jack 
saw  with  horror  the  catastrophe  which  had  overtaken  the 
gambler,  and  jumped  upon  the  rail  to  ascertain  his  fate. 

"  Man  overboard  !  "  shouted  several  of  the  watch. 


JACK    SO  ME  MS    IN    THE    NAVY.  109 

The  officer  of  the  deck  gave  the  orders  to  the  quarter- 
master at  the  wheel  necessary  for  stopping  and  backing 
the  engines,  while  the  man  stationed  at  the  taffrail  for 
the  purpose  detached  the  life-buoy. 

Jack  Somers  stood  on  the  rail,  gazing  down  into  the 
dark  and  treacherous  sea  where  his  topmate  had  disap- 
peared. He  was  a  courageous  lad ;  and,  without  think- 
ing of  the  consequences  to  himself  or  of  his  own  weak- 
ness, plunged  into  the  water  just  as  Becket  rose  to  the 
surface.  The  latter  was  but  an  indifferent  swimmer,  if 
he  coidd  swim  at  all ;  and,  instead  of  taking  his  misfor- 
tune like  a  reasonable  man,  he  commenced  kicking  and 
struggling  in  the  most  unaccountable  manner,  evidently 
having  no  control  over  himself  in  the  agonies  of  fear. 

The  steamer  went  ahead  some  distance  before  she 
stopped ;  and  Jack  and  his  struggling  enemy  were  left 
far  astern  in  the  rolling  waves.  Our  hero,  as  heroes 
always  are,  was  cool  and  self-possessed.  He  could  not 
help  wondering  at  the  stupidity  of  his  topmate  in  making 
such  a  fuss  at  such  a  momentous  time,  when  his  safety 
absolutely  depended  upon  a  careful  husbanding  of 'all  his 
strength.  But  Sam  continued  to  kick  and  struggle  till 
his  wind  gave  out ;  and  then,  when  he  could'  kick  and 
struggle  no  more,  he  began  to  take  the  thing  more  coolly  : 
in  other  words,  he  was  on  the  point  of  going  to  the  bot- 
I'.'ni,  mystically  rendered  in  seamen's  vernacular  as  "  Davy 
Jones's  locker." 


110  THE    SAILOR    BOY;    OK, 

Jack,  who  had  all  the  time  behaved  himself  in  a  very 
orderly  and  circumspect  manner,  kept  his  eye  on  the 
burning  fuze  of  the  life-buoy,  which  had  been  ignited  by 
the  act  of  being  detached  from  its  beckets  at  the  stern 
of  the  vessel.  It  was  quite  near  him ;  for  it  had  been 
dropped  into  the  water  the  instant  the  cry  which  indi- 
cated the  accident  had  sounded  through  the  ship.  When 
Sam  showed  signs  of  the  exhaustion  which  rendered  it 
safe  for  his  topmate  to  approach  him,  Jack  swam  up  to 
him,  and  seized  him  by  one  of  his  hands. 

The  convulsive  clutch  with  which  the  drowning  man 
closed  his  hand  upon  his  enterprising  deliverer  assured 
the  latter  fhat  the  danger  of  being  carried  down  with 
him  was  not  yet  over.  Jack  was  compelled  to  "  pay 
out"  well  to  avoid  this  peril :  but,  after  one  more  despe- 
rate struggle,  the  unfortunate  man  Avas  quiet  again  ;  and 
Jack  succeeded  by  the  exercise  of  a  great  deal  of  well- 
expended  strength  in  towing  Becket  to  the  life-buoy,  to 
the  supporters  of  which  he  secured  him  as  well  as  he 
could. 

Jack  Somers  was  not  made  of  iron,  though  he  is  the 
hero  of  our  story  ;  and,  by  the  time  he  had  placed  Becket 
in  a  position  of  comparative  safety,  he  began  to  think  it 
was  about  time  for  a  boat  to  come  to  his  relief.  He 
was  thoroughly  worn  out  by  his  exertions  ;  and  when  he 
glanced  over  the  tops  of  the  waves,  which  were  tumbling 
the  life-buoy  about  in  a  very  unceremonious  manner,  he 


JACK    SOMX&S    £ff    THE    NAVJ.  Ill 

was  appalled  to  see  the  steamer  apparently  a  mile  off. 
To  add  to  his  consternation,  the  pyrotechnic  apparatus' 
on  the  life-buoy  had  been  extinguished,  either  by  thr 
spray  or  by  the  limitation  of  its  material. 

The  prospect  was  exceedingly  dark  aud  gloomy,  and 
there  were  some  strong  indications  that  the  career  of 
Jack  Somers  in  the  navy  would  be  completed  with  the 
close  of  the  tenth  chapter.  Our  sailor-boy  could  not  help 
thinking  of  his  mother,  and  the  assurance  he  had  given 
her  that  he  was  just  as  safe  on  board  a  man-of-war,  as  io 
the  cottage  at  Pinchbrook  ;  and  perhaps  he  might  have 
been  if  he  had  had  the  worldly-minded  prudence  to  re- 
main on  the  deck  of  the  Harrisburg,  instead  of  trusting 
his  carcass  to  the  uncertain  mercies  of  an  Atlantic  sea 
to  save  the  life  of 'a  worthless  fellow  who  hud  taken  the 
trouble  to  publish  himself  as  his  enemy. 

It  is  true,  it  was  a  sublime  and  Christian  act  to  at- 
tempt to  save  the  life  of  an  enemy  :  but  we  are  quite  sure 
that  Jack  did  not  think  of  his  religion,  or  reason  upoi? 
the  subject,  before  he  dashed  into  the  water ;  though  a 
soul  influenced  by  the  pure  gospel  of  love  does  not  have 
to  consider  in  an  emergency  which  requires  an  act  of 
prompt  self-sacrifice.  The  atmosphere  of  love  with 
which  the  Christian  heart  surrounds  itself  inspires  the 
thoughts,  words,  and  deeds  ;  so  that  self-sacrifice,  like  a 
heavenly  impulse,  requires  no  cold  and  calculating  re- 
flection. 


112  THE    SAILOR    BOY;    OR, 

It  was  a  rash  act,  unquestionably,  however  noble  and 
sublime  it  may  appear.  It  had  been  performed  from 
impulse.  Our  sailor-boy  bad  done,  at  this*  time,  no  more 
tli ail  be  bad  on  three  similar  occasions  in  his  previous 
experience,  though  never  under  circumstances  of  so  great 
peril.  To  save  a  boy  from  a  watery  grave  by  jumping 
over  the  stem  of  a  yacht  in  Pinchbrook  Harbor,  and 
leaping  from  the  rail  of  a  ship  far  out  to  sea  in  the 
sombre  shades  of  a  winter  morning,  were  two  entirely 
different  affairs,  as  Jack  was  now  fully  assured  while 
clinging  to  the  life-buoy  exhausted  and  chilled. 

We  might  transcribe  some  of  the  great  thoughts  which 
rushed  through  the -mind  of  our  hero,  or  give  words  to 
the  simple  prayer  which  his  heart  rather  than  his  lips 
breathed  to  Him  who  holds  the  waters  in  the  hollow  of 
his  hand ;  but,  while  every  moment  seemed  a  week,  he 
saw  the  lights  of  the  ship  moving  on  the  rolling  ocean. 
The  sight  gave  him  hope  ;  and  he  watched  them  with  aii 
intensity  of  feeling  which  no  one,  not  clinging  to  a  life- 
buoy in  mid-ocean,  can  appreciate  or  comprehend. 

But  the  lights  moved  not  towards  him.  Those  on 
board  had  lost  his  bearings,  or  he  had  drifted  far  from 
the  spot  where  he  had  first  committed  himself  to  the 
waves.  He  was  chilled  by  the  cold,  and  exhausted  by 
the  A'iolcnce  of  his  exertions  ;  and  when  he  saw  the 
strainer  barking  by  him,  and  too  dislaul  to  Ite  hailed,  he 
felt  a  sinking  sensation  of  despair  creep  into  his  soul, 


JACK    SOMERS    IN    THE    NAVY,  113 

which  began  to  drive  the  life  from  his  body.  When  all 
hope  seemed  to  have  departed,  a  sound,  welcome  as  the 
music  of  the  flowing  rill  to  the  thirsty,  dying  pilgrim, 
attracted  his  attention,  and  gave  him  strength  for  one 
more  struggle  for  life.  It  was  the  measured  thump  of 
oars  in  the  rowlocks  of  a  boat.  He  looked  in  the  direc- 
tion from  which  the  sound  came,  and  discovered  a  blue 
light,  which  had  just  been  fired,  casting  a  lurid  glare 
upon  the  rolling  billows. 

"  Boat  ahoy  !  "  he  shouted  with  all  the  strength  of  his 
lungs  ;  but  his  voice  sounded  to  him  like  that  of  a  pygmy. 
He  repeated  the  call  several  times,  and  his  heart  was 
gladdened  by  the  answering  hail  of  his  friends. 

"Where  —  away!"  came  in  hoarse  tones  across  the 
long,  sweeping  surges  of  the  ocean. 

u  Boat  ahoy  !  "  repeated  Jack  with  desperate  earnest- 
ness ;  and  he  continued  to  shout,  while  the  gleams  of 
rapidly  expanding  hope  seemed  to  shoot  warmth  and  life 
through  his  chilled  veins. 

"  I  see  him ! "  shouted  the  bow-oarsman,  as  the  boat 
approached  the  buoy,  still  bravely  bearing  up  its  freight 
of  human  life  and  hope.  "  Steady,  cockswain  !  Lay  on 
your  oars  !  Avast  pulling  !  Back  her  !  You  will  run 
'em  down  ! " 

By  this  time  the  boathook  of  the  bowman  wr.r;  made 
fast  to  the  buoy,  and  in  another  moment  Jack  and  his 
companion  in  misery  were  dragged  into  the  boat 


114  THE    SAILOR    BOY;    OK, 

"  God  bless  you,  Jack,  my  boy ! "  exclaimed  Ben 
Blinks,  folding  our  hero  in  his  arms  as  a  mother  does  her 
child. 

"  Give  way  !  "  said  the  cockswain  ;  and  the  boat  came 
about,  and  pulled  to  the  ship. 

On  the  passage,  Ben  worked  vigorously  upon  the  be- 
numbed limbs  of  Jack,  while  two  others  performed  a 
similar  service  for  Becket.  When  the  boat  reached  the 
gangway,  our  sailor-boy  was  able  to  grasp  the  man- 
ropes,  and  ascend  to  the  deck  with  the  assistance  of  Ben 
Blinks  ;  but  Sam  was  hoisted  up  in  slings  just  like  a 
barrel  of  hard-tack.  The  sufferers  were  both  handed 
over  to  the  care  of  Dr.  Sawsett ;  while  the  boats  were 
recalled,  hoisted  up  to  the  davits  again,  and  the  ship 
went  on  her  course  as  though  nothing  had  happened. 

In  a  couple  of  hours,  Jack  Somers  was  as  good  as 
new  ;  and  Becket,  when  "  the  water  was  pumped  out  of 
him,"  as  Ben  Blinks  expressed  it,  began  to  improve, 
and,  after  "general  quarters,"  was  able  to  give  an  ac- 
count of  his  cruise. 

It  had  been  whispered  about  among  the  people  that 
there  was  some  foul  play  connected  with  the  affair ;  and, 
the  report  having  reached  Mr.  Baukhead  through  the 
officer  of  the  deck,  he  proceeded  to  examine  into  the  case 
at  the  first  practicable  moment. 

"  How  came  you  to  fall  overboard,  my  man  ? "  de- 
manded the  executive  officer.  "  You  are  an  ordinary 


JACK    SOMERS    IN    THE   NAVY.  115 

seaman,  and  you  ought  to  be  able  to  go  aloft  without  ac- 
cident." 

"  Foul  play,  sir  !  "  replied  Becket  in  surly  tones. 

"  What  do  you  mean  ?  " 

"  The  topman  below  me  pulled  me  off  the  rigging, 
sir." 

"Who  was  he?" 

"  Somers,  sir,"  replied  Becket  with  the  most  unblush- 
ing effrontery. 

"  Somers ! "  exclaimed  Mr.  Bankhead,  astonished  at 
the  charge  against  his  protege. 

"  Yes,  sir :  he  caught  hold  of  my  legs,  and  pulled  me 
off  the  rigging,"  added  he,  looking  up  from  the  hammock 
in  the  sick-bay,  where  the  examination  was  in  progress. 

"Do  you  know  who  saved  your  life?  —  who  jumped 
overboard  after  you  ?  " 

"No,  sir.     Who  was  it?" 

"  No  matter  who  it  was.  Did  Somers  pull  you  off  by 
accident  ?  " 

"No,  sir:  I  think  not.  We  had  some  trouble  in  the 
mizzen-top  last  night,  and  I  think  he  has  a  grudge  against 
me.  He  was  sarvin'  me  out,  sir." 

"Marine,  pass  the  word  for  Somers,"  added  Mr.  Bank-- 
head. 

Jack  presently  appeared,  and  had  no  difficulty  in  di- 
vining the  occasion  of  the  summons.  The  first-lieuten- 
ant stated  the  charge,  which  Jack  promptly  denied, 
giving  a  full  explanation  'of  the  affair  as  it  was. 


116  THE    SAILOR    BOY;    OR, 

"  Pass  the  word  for  Rushington,"  said  Mr.  Bankhead  ; 
and  the  captain  of  the  mizzen-top  appeared,  aud  substan- 
tiated Jack's  story.  The  trouble  in  the  top  was  al^o 
ventilated. 

"  They  are  lying  on  me,  sir  !  "  said  Bccket. 

"  You  black-hearted  scoundrel !  "  exclaimed  Mr.  Bank- 
head  warmly ;  for  his  indignation  could  be  no  longer 
controlled.  "  Would  Somers  push  you  overboard  one 
minute,  and  dive  after  you  the  next?" 

The  wretch  was  taken  all  aback  when  he  learned  that 
his  injured  topmate  had  saved  his  life  at  the  peril  of  his 
own :  and,  having  convicted  the  culprit,  Mr.  Bankhead 
went  on  deck,  followed  by  Jack  and  Rushington  ;  for  the 
ship  was  now  approaching  the  capes  of  Virginia. 


JACK    SOMERS    IN    THE    NAVY.  117 


CHAPTER   XI. 

THE    COCKSWAIN    OF   THE   CAPTAIN'S    GIG. 

'HE  Harrisburg  stood  in  between  the  capes,  and, 
in  the  course  of  the  forenoon,  dropped  her  an- 
chor off  Fortress  Monroe.  Jack,  from  his  lofty 
perch  in  the  mizzen-top,  obtained  a  fine  view  of 
that  celebrated  fortification,  of  which  he  had  heard  and 
read  so  much.  As  he  gazed  upon  the  "  sacred  soil"  of 
Virginia,  now  consecrated  by  the  ashes  of  heroic  martyrs 
who  had  fallen  in  defence  of  the  glorious  old  flag,  his 
thoughts  reverted  to  his  soldier-brother ;  for  there  had 
occurred  the  stirring  events  in  which  Tom  Somers  had 
been  an  actor. 

Jack  was  proud  of  his  brother,  and  thankful  that  he 
had  done  his  duty  bravely  and  faithfully  in  the  army.  He 
hoped  he  should  soon  have  an  opportunity  to  do  some- 
thing for  the  old  flag ;  and,  as  he  glanced  at  the  ensign 
floating  at  the  peak  of  the  Harrisburg,  he  felt  more  than 
ever  devoted  to  the  good  cause,  and  ready  to  die  in 
defence  of  the  cherished  emblem. 

There  was  Virginia ;  and  Tom  could  not  be  a  great 
way  off.  He  longed  to  see  him ;  and  he  could  not  help 


118  THE    SAILOR    BOY;    OR, 

thinking  how  smart  he  should  feel  in  presenting  himself 
before  his  soldier-brother  in  the  uniform  of  the  navy. 
But  every  thing  was  very  uncertain  in  time  of  war  ;  and 
a  bullet  might  kill  Tom,  a  splinter  or  a  round  shot  place 
the  gloomy  "  D.  D."  *  against  his  own  name  on  the  ship's 
books.  What  would  his  poor  mother  do  if  either  of 
them  should  be  killed?  His  eye  grew  dim  at  the 
thought.  His  father  too,  if  living,  was  probably  some- 
where in  Virginia ;  and  these  reflections  had  a  very 
strong  tendency  to  give  him  a  fit  of  the  blues.  He  felt 
like  crying  a  little,  — just  as  though  a  few  tears  would 
do  him  good. 

"What's  the  matter,  Jack?"  demanded  Bob  Rushing^ 
ton.  "  You  are  foggy  about  the  toplights." 

"  I  was  thinking  of  my  father  and  my  brother,"  re- 
plied Jack. 

"  Well,  aren't  it  pleasant  to  think  of,  my  lad?  " 

"  I  haven't  seen  my  father  for  nearly  a  year.  I  sup- 
pose he  is  in  the  hands  of  the  rebels,  if  he  is  alive." 

"  Don't  cry  about  it,  Jack  !  The  old  gentleman  will 
turn  up  all  right  one  of  these  days,"  added  Bob  in  sym- 
pathizing tones. 

Just  then,  the  boatswain's  whistle  piped  away  the  crew 
of  the  captain's  gig ;  and  Jack,  who  was  one  of  them, 
ran  down  the  mizzen-rigging,  and  was  one  of  the  first  to 
report  on  the  quarter-deck.  In  anticipation  of  this  duty, 

*  Discharged,  dead. 


JACK    SOMERS   IN    THE   NAVY.  119 

the  oarsmen  of  the  gig  had  been  ordered  to  dress  in  clean 
clothes.  They  were  young,  fine-looking,  athletic  men, 
who  had  been  selected,  on  account  of  their  personal  ap- 
pearance, to  pull  the  commander  of  the  Harrisburg 
wherever  his  duty  or  his  inclination  should  lead  him. 

While  the  men  were  waiting  for  orders,  Jack  saw 
Lieutenant  Bankhead  point  to  him ;  and  the  captain 
seemed  to  be  very  anxious  to  have  him  carefully  desig- 
nated, so  that  he  could  identify  him.  Now,  our  hero, 
like  all  brave  and  noble-hearted  young  men,  was  as  mod- 
est and  bashful  as  a  school-girl.  His  cheek  glowed  with 
blushes  when  he  became  conscious  that  he  was  the  sub- 
ject of  the  officer's  remarks.  He  wished  himself  at 
that  moment  on  the  mizzen-top-gallant  yard-arm,  or  sur- 
rounded by  the  favoring  darkness  of  the  fore-hold. 

The  idea  of  being  looked  at  and  particularly  noticed 
by  so  magnificent  a  person  as  Captain  Mainwright,  com- 
mander of  the  United-States  steamer  Harrisburg,  was 
rather  too  much  for  Jack's  susceptible  nature  ;  but  I  am 
happy  to  inform  my  sympathizing  readers  that  he  did 
not  faint,  or  commit  any  other  foolish  act.  It  wasn't  his 
fault  that  he  was  a  handsome  young,  man  ;  that  he  was 
we'1-formed,  and  had  an  exceedingly  pleasant  counte- 
nance, with  bright  blue  eyes,  through  which  his  soul, 
as  the  novelists  would  say,  proclaimed  its  own  nobility. 
I  am  not  quite  sure  it  was  his  fault  that  he  blushed ; 
but,  considering  his  youth  and  inexperience,  he  may  well 


120  THE    SAILOR    BOY;    OR, 

be  pardoned  for  this  display  of  feminine  weakness.  Jack 
was  opposed  to  blushing  on  principle,  and  he  felt  ex- 
ceedingly awkward  while  his  cheek  tingled  with  the 
Avarm  blood  that  did  not  belong  there  ;  and,  in  his  efforts 
to  appear  indifferent,  he  was  on  the  point  of  committing 
a  breach  of  discipline,  and  of  sinning  against  the  immac- 
ulate stainlessness  of  the  quarter-deck,  by  whistling,  —  an 
expedient  to  which  people  on  shore  as  well  as  on  board 
ship  resort  to  make.their  looks  belie  their  actions. 

If  it  was  a  sin  to  blush,  the  captain  and  the  first-lieu- 
tenant of  the  Harrisburg  had  determined  not  to  see  it,  or 
not  to  punish  it  on  the  present  occasion  ;  for  they  con- 
tinued their  remarks,  without  the  least  regard  to  the 
agony  they  were  causing  our  sailor-boy.  They  were 
even  cruel  enough  to  utter  some  very  flattering  commen- 
dations upon  the  conduct  of  Jack  that  morning,  in  a  tone 
so  loud,  that  the  whole  gig's  crew  couldn't  help  hearing 
them. 

"  Bully  for  you,  Jack  Somers  !  "  said  the  stroke-oars- 
man in  a  whisper. 

"Poh!"  replied  Jack  contemptuously;  but,  at  the 
same  time,  his  cheeks  glowed  with  a  ruddier  tint,  and  his 
heart  beat  a  more  lively  tattoo  against  his  ribs. 

The  first  and  second  cutter  and  the  captain's  gig  were 
already  moored  to  the  swinging-boom,  to  which  the  boats 
of  a  man-of-war  are  fastened  when  she  lies  in  port. 
Jack  wished  the  order  would  be  given  to  pipe  over  the 


JACK    SOMERS    IN    THE    NAVY.  121 

side  into  the  gig ;  for  he  felt  just  as  though  he  should 
sink  through  the  deck-planks,  if  this  scene  continued 
much  longer.  But  there  stood  the  captain  and  Mr. 
Bankhea'd,  talking  about  him,  just  as  though  he  had  been 
some  great  man.  The  executive  officer  was  evidently 
giving  his  superior  a  history  of  Jack's  cruise  on  the  life- 
buoy ;  and  our  hero  thought  he  was  spinning  out  the 
yarn  to  a  very  unnecessary  length. 

At  last  the  story  came  to  an  end.  The  two  great  men 
of  the  ship  wheeled  round  upon  their  heels,  and  walked 
aft.  They  paused  a  few  moments  at  the  taffrail,  and 
continued  the  conversation  in  a  more  earnest  manner. 
Suddenly  the  captain  wheeled  round  again,  —  just  as 
naval  officers  do  who  have  spent  years  of  their  valuable 
lives  in  pacing  the  weather-side  of  the  quarter-deck,  — 
and  walked  briskly  towards  the  boat's  crew,  who  were 
—  all  but  Jack  Somers  —  patiently  waiting  for  a  further 
expression  of  his  mighty  will  and  pleasure. 

"  Cockswain  !  "  said  Captain  Mainwright  sharply  ;  for 
he  was  an  officer  who  always  spoke  quick  and  to  the 
point. 

"  He's  on  the  sick-list,  your  honor,"  replied  the  stroke- 
oarsman,  touching  his  cap. 

"  Sick  !  "  exclaimed  the  captain  with  well-feigned  as- 
tonishment ;  for  every  one  of  the  gig's  crew  was  per- 
fectly well  aware  that  the  captain  knew  where  his  cock- 
swain was  at  that  particular  moment,  and  also  what  had 
occasioned  his  sudden  illness. 


122  THE    SAILOR    BOY;     OH, 

"  He's  very  bad,  your  honor,"  added  the  stroke-oarsman, 
touching  his  hat  again  with  a  smile  which  indicated  that 
he  was  presumptuous  enough  to  understand  and  appre- 
ciate the  joke  that  the  majesty  of  the  quarter-deck  was 
engaged  in  perpetrating. 

"  What  business  has  my  cockswain  to  be  sick?"  added 
he,  turning  to  the  executive  officer ;  for  the  captain  of  a 
man-of-war  never  jests  with  the  denizens  of  the  berth- 
deck. 

"  Mutiny  !  "  replied  Mr.  Baukhead  with  a  smile. 

"What's  his  name?"  asked  the  captain,  who  could 
not  be  expected  to  know  the  cognomen  of  so  humble  an 
individual  as  the  cockswain  of  his  own  gig,  especially  as 
the  ship  had  been  in  commission  less  than  a  fortnight. 

"  Becket,"  replied  the  first-lieutenant,  who  might  pos- 
sibly have  consulted  the  station-bill  within  half  an  hour. 
At  any  rate,  his  information  was  sufficiently  accurate  to 
enable  him  to  answer  the  question  without  any  embar- 
rassing hesitation. 

"  That's  the  man  that  fell  overboard,  and  was  saved 
by  Somers  !  "  added  Captain  Maiuwright  with  apparent 
astonishment ;  but  it  is  more  than  probable  that  he  was 
not  half  so  much  astonished  as  he  appeared  to  be. 

"  The  same,  sir." 

"  He  had  no  business  to  fall  overboard,  and  I  shall 
disrate  him  for  doing  so." 

Mr.  Bankhead  bowed  with  becoming  reverence  to  the 
fiat  of  his  superior. 


JACK    SO  MESS    IN    THE   NAVY.  123 

"  I  want  a  new  cockswain,"  continued  the  captain. 

"Bully  for  you,  Jack  Somers  !"  said  the  stroke  oars- 
man jn  an  awful  whisper. 

"  Somers  ! "  said  the  captain  in  a  tone  which  seemed  to 
be  fearfully  majestic  to  our  blushing,  trembling  sailor-boy. 

Jack  stepped  forward,  and  touched  his  cap,  as  much 
awed  as  though  he  had  stood  in  the  sublime  presence  of 
the  Autocrat  of  all  the  Russias. 

"  Somers,  I  am  toldyou  did  a  foolish  thing  this  morn- 
ing." 

Jack  touched  his  cap  again,  as  deferentially  as  before  : 
and  the  captain's  view  of  the  act,  at  least  as  he  expressed 
it  in  his  remark,  was  really  a  relief  to  him  ;  for  he  was 
one  of  that  sort,  who,  if  it  were  not  for  the  name  of  the 
thing,  had  rather  be  blamed  than  praised. 

"  Never  jump  overboard  after  a  man  again,  if  he  is  . 
the  best  friend  you  have  in  the  world,"  added  the  captain, 
in  a  tone  so  decided,  that  the  gig's  crew  began  to  pity 
poor  Jack,  and  to  think  that  the  captain  was  using  him 
very  harshly  after  he  had  behaved  so  handsomely. 

It  is  true,  Tom  Longstone  and  Ben  Blinks  had  told 
him  the  same  thing ;  and  their  advice  must  certainly 
have  been  good,  since  it  was  enforced  by  such  high  au- 
thority as  the  captain.  Jack  touched  his  cap  before  the 
admonition  of  his  commander,  and  really  began  to  think 
that  he  had  done  a  mean  thing,  instead  of  a  noble  and 
magnanimous  deed. 


124  THE    SAILOR    BOY,    OR, 

"  Never  do  it  again,  Somers,"  continued  the  captain. 
"  We  can't  afford  to  lose  a  man  like  you,  especially  for 
such  a  fellow  as  Becket.  Henceforth  you  will  be  rated  as 
cockswain  of  my  gig.  Pipe  away  your  crew,  Somers  ! " 

Jack  would  not  have  been  more  astonished  if  the  Min- 
nesota, which  lay  at  anchor  near  the  Harrisburg,  had 
poured  a  broadside  into  the  ship,  than  he  was  when  he 
found  himself  so  suddenly  and  unexpectedly  promoted  to 
the  elegant  and  dignified  office  of  cockswain  of  the  cap- 
tain's gig.  He  was  amazed,  confounded,  bewildered,  at 
the  magnificent  position  to  which  he  had  been  elevated. 

"  Thank  your  honor  ! "  stammered  Jack,  pulling  off  his 
cap,  and  bowing  as  low  as  though  he  had  been  in  the 
presence  of  the  Sultan  of  Turkey. 

Captain  Mainwright  turned,  and  walked  aft ;  leaving 
Jack  standing  like  a  statue,  as  immovable  as  the  main- 
mast of  the  ship. 

"Away  with  you,  Jack."  said  Mr.  Bankhead  in  a 
low  tone,  as  he  walked  by  him  towards  the  waist. 

"  Gig-men,  away  !  "  added  Jack,  giving  his  first  order 
in  virtue  of  his  new  position. 

He  was  perfectly  familiar  with  the  duties  of  a  cock- 
swain, though  he  had  never  performed  them,  or  even,  in 
his  wildest  dreams  of  future  distinction,  aspired  to  such 
a  splendid  position.  In  a  moment  more,  he  was  over  the 
side  with  his  crew ;  and  the  gig  was  brought  up  to  the 
gangway,  ready  to  receive  its  distinguished  passenger. 


JACK    SOMERS    IN    THE    NAVY.  125 

While  he  was  waiting,  the  new  hand  appointed  to  fill  his 
place  entered  the  boat. 

"  Bully  for  you,  Jack ! "  said  the  stroke-oarsman, 
while  the  new  cockswain  was  adjusting  the  cushions  in 
the  stern-sheets  of  the  gig. 

"  Good  on  your  head,  Jack  !  "  added  another.  "  You^ 
desarved  it ;  and  there  is  not  a  man  in  the  ship  that 
won't  be  glad  of  it." 

"That's  so." 

"  Except  Becket." 

"  Becket's  only  fit  for  shark's  meat,"  added  the  first 
speaker. 

Jack  was  very  glad  to  find  there  was  no  ill  feeling 
towards  him  among  his  shipmates  on  account  of  what 
had  been  done,  which  added  very  much  to  his  satisfac- 
tion. He  was  as  happy  as  a  boy  of  seventeen  could  be  ; 
and  he  longed  for  the  time  when  he  could  sit  down  on 
the  mess-bench,  and  hear  Tom  Longstone's  comments  on 
the  matter.  And  what  a  topic  for  a  letter  to  his  mother  ! 
"Wouldn't  she  feel  good  when  she  heard  all  about  it ! 
He  intended  to  write  that  letter  as  soon  as  he  returned 
from  the  shore  ;  but  in  it  he  intended  to  promise  his 
mother  never  to  jump  overboard  after  a  shipmate  again, 
in  accordance  with  the  injunction  of  the  captain  and  the 
advice  of  his  best  friends.  He  should  have  a  word  to 
say  about  the  increased  pay  he  would  receive  in  his  new 
capacity. 


126  THE    SAILOR    BOY,    OR, 

While  he  was  thinking  over  the  bright  prospects  which 
had  suddenly  dawned  upon  him,  Mr.  Dickey,  midshipman, 
—  the  elegant  and  accomplished  bantam  of  the  quarter- 
deck, —  came  over  the  gangway,  and  installed  himself  in 
the  stern-sheets  as  the  officer  of  the  boat.  Jack  paid  him 
the  homage  due  to  so  important  a  personage,  and  the  dis- 
tinguished Mr.  Dickey  subsided  upon  the  cushions  in 
languid  consciousness  of  his  own  magnificence.  On  ordi- 
nary occasions,  our  hero  could  not  look  upon  this  notable 
young  gentleman  without  a  strong  tendency  to  exercise 
his  risibles :  but  at  this  time  he  actually  felt  a  profound 
respect  for  him ;  probably  because  his  own  position, 
being  a  peg  higher,  placed  himself  so  much  nearer  to 
the  ineffable  grandeur  of  that  held  by  Mr.  Midshipman 
Dickey. 

The  captain  came  over  the  side  next,  and  was  received 
with  due  honor  by  all  in  the  boat. 

"  Toss  !  "  said  Jack.  "  Let  fall !  Give  way  !  "  and 
the  gig  was  dashing  over  the  waves  towards  the  sallyport 
of  the  fortress. 

Our  innocent  readers  must  not  suppose,  from  the  ele- 
vated position  to  which  our  hero  had  been  exalted,  that 
he  was  admitted  to  the  counsels  of  the  captain.  Not 
even  the  magnificent  Mr.  Dickey  could  aspire  to  this 
honor ;  and  both  of  them  had  to  wait  in  the  boat  till 
Captain  Mainwright  had  finished  his  business  on  shore. 


JACK    SO  ME  US    IN    THE   NAVY.  127 


CHAPTER    XII. 

SHIP   ISLAND. 

CAPTAIN  MAINWRIGHT  remained   so   long 
in  the  fort,  that  it  is  quite  probable  he  forgot 
that  Mr.  Midshipman  Dickey  was  waiting  for 
him  at  the  pier.     Perhaps  it  would  have  made 
no  difference  with  him,  if  he  had  thought  of  it :  at  any 
rate,  he  stopped  a  long  time  ;  and,  when  he  came  down 
to  the  boat,  he  did  not  apologize  to  Mr.  Dickey  for  de- 
taining him  so  long.     Mr.  Dickey  did  not  seem  to  be 
offended  with  him  for  his  want  of  consideration  ;  for  he 
touched  his  cap  as  politely,  when  the  captain  stepped  into 
the  boat,   as  though  his  patience  had  not  been  sorely 
tried. 

Jack  Somers  touched  his  cap  very  reverently ;  for  he 
was  so  grateful  to  the  commander  of  the  Harrisburg  for 
his  kindness  to  him,  that  he  would  willingly  have  waited 
all  day  and  all  night  in  the  boat  for  him.  As  Captain 
Main wright  was  engaged  in  the  business  of  the  nation, 
it  is  likely  that  he  did  not  care  whether  Mr.  Dickey  was 
satisfied  or  not.  In  fact,  officers  in  the  navy  are  not  in 


128  THE    SAILOR    BOY;    OR, 

the  habit  of  consulting  the  wishes  of  their  inferiors  :  and 
we  are  inclined  to  think  that  they  are  perfectly  right  iu 
doing  so  ;  for,  if  they  attempted  to  please  all  who  chose 
to  differ  from  them,  the  old  flag  Avould  be  the  greatest 
sufferer  by  the  operation. 

Jack  wanted  very  much  to  know  how  long  the  ship 
was  to  remain  at  Fortress  Monroe  :  but  he  did  not  think 
it  prudent  to  ask  the  question  even  of  Mr.  Bankhead, 
much  less  of  the  captain ;  for,  even  if  these  gentlemen 
had  known  themselves,  they  had  a  provoking  habit  of 
keeping  things  to  themselves.  It  is  not  certain  that  any 
officer  below  the  captain  knew  when  or  where  the  ship 
was  going ;  and  it  was  a  fact,  that  not  a  man  outside  of 
the  cabin  and  wardroom  had  the  remotest  idea  whether 
they  wTere  going  to  Gibraltar  or  the  South.  This  may 
seem  very  strange  to  our  readers  ;  but  the  destination  of 
a  ship-of-war  is  seldom  made  public  in  time  of  Avar. 
Sometimes  the  seamen  can  form  a  tolerably  correct  idea 
from  the  amount  and  kind  of  stores  put  on  board,  and 
other  circumstances.  Vessels  often  sail  with  sealed  or- 
ders, which  the  captain  is  permitted  to  open  only  when 
the  ship  reaches  a  certain  position.  The  information  is 
not  often  communicated  to  the  people,  though  they  some- 
times obtain  it  by  accident. 

On  board  the  Harrisburg,  everybody  wondered  where 
they  were  going ;  but  the  whole  subject  was  a  sealed 
book  to  them,  and  Jack  was  obliged  to  content  himself 


JACK    SOMERS    IN    THE    NAVY.  129 

without  knowing  any  thing  at  all  about  the  matter.  As 
he  stood  behind  Captain  Mainwright,  with  the  tiller-ropes 
in  his  hands,  he  tried  to  read  the  expression  of  his  face  ; 
yet,  when  he  gave  the  order  to  "  toss  oars,"  he  had  made 
no  headway  whatever  in  the  operation.  The  captain's 
face  was  as  uncormmmicative  as  his  lips. 

The  side  was  manned  when  the  monarch  of  the  quar- 
ter-deck went  over  the  gangway,  and  was  received  in  due 
form  by  the  officer  of  the  deck,  and  others  who  were 
present.  The  commander  of  a  man-of-war  is  always  re- 
ceived with  a  great  deal  of  ceremony  when  he  comes  on 
board  of  the  ship,  though  he  may  not  have  been  absent 
fifteen  minutes.  The  "side  boys"  form  a  double  line, 
and  touch  their  caps  as  he  passes  through  the  lines.  He 
is  treated  with  a  great  deal  of  respect  at  all  times.  Every 
man,  from  the  first-lieutenant  to  the  third-class  boys, 
touches  his  cap  to  him,  as  every  officer  and  man  must  do 
when  he  approaches  his  superior. 

Boat-keepers  at  the  swinging-boom  stand  up,  and  salute 
officers  arriving  or  departing  in  boats.  If  Captain  Main- 
wright's  gig,  in  going  to  or  coming  from  the  shore,  had 
met  a  boat  containing  a  flag-officer,  —  that  is,  the  com- 
mander of  a  squadron,  —  etiquette  would  require  that  his 
crew  should  toss  oars  (hold  them  up,  perpendicularly), 
and  the  captain  would  touch -his  cap  to  his  superior. 
Commissioned  officers,  in  passing  him,  would  lie  on  their 
oars,  and  warrant-officers  would  toss  oars  to  him.  These 
9 


130  THE    SAILOR    BOY;    OR, 

are  tokens  of  respect  which  every  inferior  must  yield  to 
his  superior.  Custom  or  particular  regulations  adjust  all 
these  matters  with  the  most  punctilious  care. 

When  Captain  Mainwright  had  gone  up  the  side,  and 
the  accomplished  Mr.  Dickey  had  also  disappeared  over 
the  bulwarks,  Jack  secured  his  boat,  and  went  on  deck. 
As  he  passed  along  the  crowd  of  idlers,  he  was  roughly 
congratulated  upon  his  good  fortune.  He  made  his  way 
down  to  the  berth-deck,  where  he  found  Tom  Longstoue. 

"  Give  us  your  flipper,  Jack  !  "  said  the  veteran,  as  he 
rose  from  the  mess  bench.  "  I  give  ye  joy,  Jack  !  It's 
a  good  thing  to  have  some  one  in  the  wardroom  to  speak 
a  good  word  for  you." 

"  Then  you  think  I  owe  my  promotion  to  the  favor  of 
Mr.  Bankhead?"  replied  Jack,  as  Tom  wrung  his  hand. 

"  Sartin  of  it,  my  pretty  piper." 

"  Then  I  would  rather  throw  up  my  new  rating," 
added  our  hero. 

"  Why,  you  lollipop  !  I  don't  say  you  didn't  desarve 
it ;  for  every  man  aboard  knows  as  how  you  did.  It  is 
not  every  man  that  desarves  promotion  as  gets  it." 

"  I  don't  ask  any  favors,"  continued  Jack. 

"  Yes,  you  do,  my  lively  gigsman.  You  want  your  de- 
sarts,  and  you'll  find  that's  the  greatest  favor  you  can  get." 

"  I  don't  see  it  in  that  light." 

"  Are  you  going  for  to  kick  because  you've  got  a  good 
friend  in  the  wardroom  ?  "  demanded  Tom  sternly. 


JACK    SOMERS    IN    THE  NAVY.  131 

"  No  ;  but  I  don't  want  any  favors  not  bestowed  upon 
the  rest  of  the  men." 

"  It's  all  right :  no  mistake  about  that?  The  whole 
crew  would  like  to  give  you  three  cheers  for  what  you 
did  ;  and  every  mother's  son  on  'em  would  vote  to  make 
you  boatswain  this  minute,  if  they  could," 

"  Doubted ! "" 

"  Yes,  they  would  :  we'll  except  that  piratical  Becket, 
or  such  car'on  as  he  is.  For  all  that,  my  merry  to'gal- 
lant-man,  kissin'  goes  by  favor.  There's  a  score  of  old 
sheet-anchor  men  for'ad  that  has  weathered  Cape  Horn  a 
dozen  times  ;  melted  the  grease  out  of  their  bodies  in  the 
East  Indies,  and  been  froze  up  in  the  arctic ;  and  what 
are  they  now  ?  Able  seamen,  Jack,  —  that's  all.  They 
don't  get  so  much  pay  as  you  do,  that  never  went  out  of 
sight  of  land  in  a  man-of-war.  You're  lucky,  Jack  ;  and 
you  ought  to  be  thankful  for  what  you've  got." 

"I  am  thankful,  Tom;  But  why  didn't  the  captain 
choose  a  cockswain  from  these  sheet-anchor  men  ?  " 

"  'Cause  kissin'  goes  by  favor,  my  breezy  little  top- 
man.  But  bless  your  heart,  Jack,  them  old  fellows 
aren't  good  for  cockswains.  They  want  lively,  brisk, 
handsome  little  fellers  like  you  for  cockswains  of  the  com- 
modore's barge  and  the  cap'u's  gig.  Besides,  them  fel- 
lers are  gettiu'  old  and  stiff,  and  stow  away  grog  enough 
to  float  a  seventy-four.  You've  got  what  you  desarve, 
Jack  ;  and  you  ought  to  be  satisfied." 


132  THE    SAILOR    BOYi    OR, 

"  Ko  I  am  ;  but  I  don't  want  any  man  to  think  that  I 
w&«  promoted  when  I  didn't  deserve  it." 

"  You  did  "desarve  it."  t 

"  That's  so  !  "  added  Bob  Rushington  with  emphasis-. 

And  so  said  the  rest  of  the  mess  :  for,  while  the  argu- 
ment was  in  progress,  the  crew  had  been  piped  to  supper  ; 
and  Jack  had  no  reason  to  complain  of  a  want  of  sym- 
pathy among  his  messmates. 

The  Harrisburg  remained  at  Fortress  Monroe  five 
days ;  at  the  end  of  which  time,  she  went  to  sea  again. 
Though  the  prophets  and  wise  men  of  the  berth-deck 
indulged  in  all  sorts  of  speculations  in  regard  to  the 
destination  of  the  ship,  nothing  was  known  in  regard  to 
the  future,  except  that  she  was  headed  to  the  southward. 
Whether  she  was  going  to  serve  as  a  blockader,  or  to  en- 
gage in  more  active  work,  was  as  much  a  mystery  as 
ever.  If  the  quarter-deck  was  any  wiser  than  the  berth- 
deck,  it  preserved  its  own  secrets  with  religious  care. 

Three  days  after  she  sailed,  the  ship  approached  the 
land  again ;  and  Jack  learned  that  she  was  going  into 
Port-Royal  Harbor.  A  little  later,  he  saw  the  forts,  on 
either  side  of  the  bay,  which  had  been  captured  by  the 
squadron  of  Commodore  Dupont.  From  the  mizzen-top 
he  saw  the  stars  and  stripes  floating  over  them  ;  and  his 
heart  beat  a  livelier  pulsation  as  he  recalled  the  glorious 
events  of  that  heroic  day. 

The  ship  came  to  anchor  in  the  harbor,  and  the  cap- 


JACK    SOMERS    IN    T  n  B    N  A  V  T.  133 

tain's  gig  was  again  in  demand.  Jack  saw  a  great  many- 
things  which  interested  and  instructed  him  ;  but  no  events 
of  sufficient  importance  to  be  recorded  in  these  pages 
occurred  during  his  stay. 

From  Port  Royal,  the  Harrisburg  went  to  Key  West 
on  the  following  day ;  thence  to  Havana,  where  she  ex- 
changed salutes  with  the  English,  French,  and  Spanish 
men-of-war  lying  in  the  harbor ;  and  Jack  had  a  fine 
opportunity  to  observe  the  perfection  of  ceremonial  ob- 
servances which  prevail  in  the  navy.  Admirals  and 
commodores  were  as  thick  as  snow-flakes  at  Christmas  ; 
and  such  a  banging  of  great  guns,  such  a  dipping  of 
ensigns,  such  a  tossing  of  oars,  even  the  old  salts  had 
never  seen  before.  Every  other  man  he  met  seemed  to 
be  an  admiral ;  and  he  had  nearly  worn  out  his  cap  in 
touching  it  to  the  foul  anchors  that  glittered  upon  the 
shoulders  of  those  who  passed  his  station. 

The  last  time  he  pulled  the  captain  off  from  the  shore, 
he  heard  him  tell  a  gentleman  with  him  that  the  Harris- 
burg  was  ordered  to  Snip  Island  Jo  relieve  the  flag-ship 
Niagara  ;  and,  the  same  day,  she  got  under  weigh  again. 

"  We  are  in  for't  now,  Jack.  We  shall  have  some 
music  afore  long,"  said  Tom  Longstone,  when  Jack  re- 
ported his  information  to  the  old  quarter-master.  "  I'll 
bet  a  month's  pay  we  pitch  into  Mobile  afore  April  Fools' 
Day." 

"  I  hope  so,"  replied  Jack. 


134  THE    SAILOR    BOY;    OR, 

"  Perhaps  you  won't  feel  so  good  about  it  when  the 
time  comes.  You  don't  know  what  'tis,  Jack,  to  see 
round-shot  smashin'  through  the  sides  of  the  ship,  tear- 
ing off  splinters,  and  scatterin'  'em  like  kindliu'-Avood  all 
over  the  decks,  knocking  over  the  best  men  at  the  guns. 
We  don't  any  on  us  know  much  about  it." 

"  I'm  ready  -for  it,  if  we  can  only  knock  Mobile,  or 
any  other  rebel  place,  in  pieces.  I  hoped  I  should  be  in 
when  Charleston  was  taken." 

"  Time  enough  yet,  Jack." 

If  our  hero  could  have  known  in  what  bloody  and  ex- 
citing  scenes  he  was  soon  to  engage,  he  would  have  been 
satisfied  to  spend  the  intervening  time  in  preparing  for 
the  future.  Every  day  the  men  were  drilled  at  the  guns, 
and  in  the  use  of  the  cutlass  and  boarding-pike  ;  so  that, 
the  longer  the  trying  ordeal  of  battle  was  deferred,  the 
better  prepared  were  the  crew  to  meet  it. 

After  a  passage  of  four  days,  the  Harrisburg  arrived 
at  Ship  Island ;  which  my  young  readers  are  aware  is 
little  more  than  a  sand-bar  off  the  eastern  coast  of  Louis- 
iana. She  was  now  nearer  the  rebels  than  she  had  been 
before  ;  and  certain  little  steamers,  flaunting  the  Confed- 
erate flag,  were  occasionally  seen  near  the  land,  as  they 
came  out  to  ascertain  what  Uncle  Sam  was  doing  at  the 
island.  They  were  very  prudent,  however  ;  and  seldom 
placed  themselves  within  range  of  the  heavy  guns  on 
board  the  ships-of-war. 


JACK    SOMERS    IN    THE    &AVY.  135 

Afte^r  the  ship  had  been  at  this  station  about  ten  days, 
a  boat-expedition  was  organized ;  though  its  object,  as 
usual,  was  a  profound  secret  to  all  except  the  officers. 
From  various  indications,  the  enterprise  promised  to  be 
an  exciting  affair.  The  first,  second,  and  third  cutters 
were  to  compose  the  boat-party  ;  and,  besides  the  regular 
crews,  a  limited  number  of  seamen  were  to  engage  in 
the  expedition.  Forthwith  there  was  a  great  struggle 
among  the  men  to  obtain  places  in  the  boats ;  for  there 
was  hardly  a  man  on  board  who  did  not  wish  to  be 
counted  in.  The  men  had  all  been  selected  by  Mr. 
Baukhead  ;  and  Jack  Somers  was  terribly  disappointed 
when  he  found  that  he  was  "  left  out  in  the  cold." 

Tom  Longstone  was  to  go  in  the  first  cutter,  and  our 
hero  bemoaned  to  him  his  sad  fate  in  being  compelled  to 
stay  behind. 

"  Never  mind,  Jack ;  plenty  of  time  yet.  It  will  be 
your  turn  next,"  replied  Tom  in  soothing  tones. 

"  Let  me  go  in  your  place.  Tom,"  asked  Jack,  half  in 
jest,  and  half  in  earnest. 

"  Can't  do  that,"  replied  the  veteran,  shaking  his  head, 
"  If  there's  any  chance  for  a  fight,  I  musn't  lose  it.  Be- 
sides, you  may  lose  your  number  in  the  mess  if  you 
go." 

"  I'll  risk  that.  Don't  you  think  I  can  get  a  chance 
to  go  ?  " 


136  THE    SAIL  OK    BOY;     O  R: 

"  Perhaps  you  can  find  some  one  that  will  give  you  hia 
chance,  my  little  piper." 

"Who  wants  to  go?"  said  a  voice  at  the  mess-table 
behind  them. 

"  I  do,"  answered  Jack  promptly,  and  before  he  saw 
who  asked  the  question. 

"Jack  Somers?" 

"  Yes." 

Jack  now  found  that  the  speaker  was  Sam  Becket,  his 
topmate,  who  had  been  disrated  on  account  of  the  affair 
off  the  capes  of  Virginia.  He  had  fully  recovered  from 
the  effects  of  his  involuntary  bath  on  that  eventful  morn- 
ing. Popular  opinion  on  board  the  Harn'sburg  had  set 
hard  against  him  ;  and  he  had  found  that  the  way  of  tho 
transgressor  is  hard.  Since  his  recovery,  he  had  per* 
formed  his  duty  in  surly  silence.  If  he  felt  any  grati- 
tude towards  his  topmate  for  saving  his  life,  he  never 
manifested  it  by  word  or  look  ,•  and  Jack  and  his  friends 
had  hardly  noticed  him. 

"  You  can  have  my  place,  Jack,  if  you  want  it  bad," 
added  Becket,  without  looking  at  the  person  he  addressed. 

"  Thank  you  :  I'm  very  much  obliged  to  you,  Becket," 
said  Jack,  astonished  at  this  self-sacrifice  on  the  part  of 
his  enemy. 

"  I  owe  you  one  for  what  you  did  that  morning,"  con- 
tinued the  ex-cockswain  of  the  captain's  gig. 


JACK    SOMERS    IN    THE    NAVY.  137 

"  That's  handsome  !  "  said  Tom  Longstone. 

"  I'd  like  to  go  myself,'.'  added  Becket ;  "  but  I'll  give 
way  to  Somers.  He  did  better  nor  that  by  me." 

"  That's  a  fact,  Becket.  If  it  hadn't  been  for  the  lad, 
you'd  'a  beenfish-bait  in  twenty  minutes." 

4L^ 

.  "  Nobody  TKows  it  better  nor  I  do.  I  was  wrong  that 
night  in  the  top,  and  I  axes  his  pardon." 

"  There's  my  hand,  Becket,"  said  Jack  heartily. 

"You  haven't  anything  agin  me,  have  you,  Jack?" 
asked  Becket,  as  he  took  the  proffered  hand. 

"  Not  a  thing." 

"  You  are  welcome  to  my  chance  in  the  first  cutter." 

"  Thank  you,  Becket." 

"  But  you  must  get  leave  of  the  first-lieutenant,"  added 
Tom.  "  How  do  you  know  but  he  has  something  for 
you  to  do  ?  'Spose  the  cap'n  wants  to  go  ashore  :  then 
where's  his  cockswain?  Perhaps  he  kept  you  back  on 
purpose." 

Jack's  ardor  was  a  little  dampened  by  this  suggestion  : 
but  he  determined  to  adopt  it ;  for  Tom's  view  seemed  to 
be  correct.  Though  the  ship  was  at  anchor,  her  fires 
were  banked,  and  her  regular  watches  were  kept.  The 
boat-expedition  was  to  start  very  early  in  the  morning ; 
and  Jack  was  fearful  that  he  should  have  no  opportunity 
to  obtain  the  desired  permission. 

When  the  starboard  watch  was  called  at  eight  bells,  he 
was  so  fortunate  as  to  find  Mr.  Bankhead  on  deck ;  and 


138  THE    SAILOR    BOY;    OR, 

he  respectfully  presented  his  petition.  The  first-lieuten- 
ant promised  to  consult  the  captain  ;  and  the  result  was, 
that  the  permission  was  granted  ;  and  Jack  was  as  happy 
as  though  he  were  going  to  a  feast,  instead  of  to  a  work 
which  might  be  bloody  and  fatal. 


JACK    SOMERS    IN    THE   NAVY.  139 


CHAPTER    XIH. 

THE    BOAT-EXPEDITION. 

LL  the  starboard  watch,  ahoy ! "  piped  the 
boatswain's  mate  at  eight  bells  on  the  follow- 
ing  morning. 

Jack  turned  out  of  his  hammock,  eager  to 
engage  in  the  expedition  which  was  to  start  at  this  time. 
Hastening  to  the  spar-deck,  he  heard  the  order  given  to 
clear  away  the  cutters.  The  men  and  material  for  the 
enterprise  were  ready.  Boat-howitzers  were  placed  in 
the  bows  of  the  cutters  ;  a  supply  of  ammunition,  provis- 
ions, and  water,  was  taken  on  board  of  them ;  and"  the 
men  embarked. 

Mr.  Granger,  the  second-lieutenant,  was  to  command 
the  expedition,  with  the  fourth-lieutenant  in  the  third 
cutter,  and  a  master's  mate  in'  the  fourth.  It  was  the 
lirst  active  service  in  which  either  officers  or  men  had 
been  engaged  during  the  cruise ;  and  every  one,  from 
the  second-lieutenant  down  to  the  powder-boys,  was  anx- 
ious to  distinguish  himself,  and  each  one  felt  competent 
to  whip  two  or  three  rebels  in  any  fair  encounter.  There 


140  THE    SAILOR    BOY;    O n, 

was  pluck  enough  in  the  expedition  to  have  supplied 
three  times  as  large  a  company :  and  it  was  fortunate  for 
them  and  for  the  Government  that  Mr.  Granger  was  a 
prudent  and  sensible  man ;  otherwise  the  expedition 
might  have  taken  it  into  its  head  to  attack  the  city  of 
New  Orleans  or  Mobile,  or  pitched  into  Fort  Pike,  Fort 
Gaines,  or  some  other  rebel  stronghold  in  the  vicinity. 

When  the  boats  were  ready  to  start,  Mr.  Granger 
ordered  the  second  and  third  cutters  alongside  the  first, 
in  which  he  was  seated  himself.  The  officers  in  com- 
mand of  the  other  boats  had  already  been  instructed  in 
regard  to  their  duties  ;  and  Mr.  Granger  proceeded  to 
give  a  few  general  directions  for  the  conduct  of  the  men. 
The  oars  had  been  "  tossed,"  and  the  crews  listened  in 
respectful  silence  to  the  remarks  of  the  commander  of 
the  expedition. 

"  Cast  off! "  said  the  cockswains  of  the  cutters  ;  and 
the  three  boats  separated,  so  as  to  permit  each  to  use  its 
oars. 

"  Let  fall ! "  added  the  cockswains.     "  Give  way  !  " 

The  cutters  dashed  away,  the  men  pulling  with  a  wilK 
As  yet,  they  knew  not  where  they  were  going  ;  and,  aside 
from  the  natural  ciiriosity  all  men  feel,  it  is  not  probable 
that  they  cared,  provided  they  were  introduced  to  some 
stirring  scene  which  would  enable  them  to  do  something 
for  the  old  flag,  and  furnish  an  opportunity  for  the  daring 
spirits  to  distinguish  themselves  iu  a  hand-to-hand  fight. 


JACK    SOMEES    IN    THE    NAVY.  141 

Jack  Somers  stowed  himself  away  under  the  lee  of 
Tom  Longstone,  who  was  in  the  same  boat  with  him ; 
purtjy  because  the  old  quartermaster  wished  "  to  keep 
an  eye  on  him ; "  and  partly  because  the  veteran  was  a 
sage  and  a  prophet,  and  Jack  wanted  the  benefit  of  his 
observations  and  instructions. 

"Do  you  know  where  we  are  going,  Tom?"  asked 
Jack  in  a  low  voice  ;  for  loud  talking  was  not  permitted. 

"  Haven't  the  least  idea,  my  lad,"  replied  Tom  in  a 
whisper. 

"  Where  do  you  suppose  ?  " 

"  The  likes  of  you  and  me,  my  darling,  are  not  to 
know  any  thing  about  it.  Bless  you,  Jack,  Mr.  Granger 
hasn't  asked  my  opinion  about  any  thing,  and  hasn't  even 
told  me  where  we  are  going  !  " 

"  Can't  you  tell  in  what  direction  we  are  pulling?" 

"  As  to  the  matter  of  that,  my  honey-bee,  we  are  head- 
ing due  north." 

"  What  do  you  think  we  are  going  to  do?" 

"  I  have  not  the  leastest  iflee  in  natur'.  May  be  we 
are  goin'  to  capter  Mobile  ;  that  lays  off  here  away  some- 
Avhere  .  but  I  don't  think  we  are,  Jack." 

"  Of  course  Ave  are  not,"  replied  Jack  impatiently. 

"  May  be,  Fort  Pike :  I  heard  one  of  the  jollies  say 
there  was  such  a  battery  or  fort  in  here  somewhere.  I 
don't  think  we  are, 'though." 

"  You  know  we  are  not,  Tom." 


142  THE    SAILOR    BOY;    OR, 

"  May  be  we  are  going  across  the  country  to  strike 
New  Orleans,"  chuckled  Tom  ;  "  but  I  don't  believe  we 
are." 

"You  know  very  well  we  are  not  going  to  do  any 
thing  of  the  kind.  You  are  an  old  seaman.  I  didn't 
know  but  you  could  tell,  from  the  arms  and  other  things 
in  the  boat,  what  kind  of  work  we  are  to  perform." 

"  Well,  my  baby,  seein'  as  how  you  want  to  know  so 
.bad,  I'll  give  you  my  opinion.  'Taint  worth  much  ;  but 
old  Tom's  always  ready  to  give  the  best  he's  got." 

The  veteran  spoke  in  low  tones ;  and  the  seamen  near 
him  gathered  closer  around  him,  so  as  to  hear  the  opin- 
ion of  the  sage  of  the  first  cutter.  Tom  took  off  his  cap, 
scratched  his  bald  head  as  if  to  stimulate  his  intellectual 
powers,  and  sharpen  his  judgment  up  to  the  requisite 
pitch  for  the  important  decision  he  was  about  to  render. 

"  I  don't  know  where  we're  goin',  or  what  we're 
goin'  to  do,  as  I  said  before,"  continued  Tom,  when  all 
heads  were  bent  down  to  catch  the  words  of  wisdom 
when  they  should  fall  from  his  venerated  lips.  "  How- 
somever,  in  my  opinion,  we're  goin'  to  take  a  look  at 
the  rebels,  or  else  to  attack  some  shore  battery,  or  else 
some  steamboat  or  sailing  vessel.  Now,  my  lads,  you've 
got  my  opinion :  so  don't  pester  me  no  more." 

Old  Tom  indulged  in  a  low  chuckle  as  he  settled  back 
on  the  thwart,  and  glanced  around  him  to  discover  in 
the  darkness  how  his  opinion  had  beeu  received. 


JACK    SQMERS    IN    THE    NAVY.  143 

"  Bully  for  you,  Tom !  I  thought  you  knowed  all 
about  this  work,"  laughed  an  old  sheet-anchor  man. 

Jack  gave  up  in  despair,  and  was  obliged  to  content 
himself  with  knowing  no  more  than  the  law  allows. 
The  men  at  the  oars  were  relieved  every  hour ;  for  it 
was  a  long  pull  before  they  reached  the  scene  of  opera' 
tions.  At  eight  o'clock,  the  expedition  came  into  a  broad 
bay-extending  into  the  mainland.  The  boats  were  pass- 
ing between  two  headlands  about. two  miles  apart,  when 
a  cannon-shot  dropped  into  the  water  a  short  distance 
ahead  of  the  first  cutter. 

"  There's  music  for  you  !  "  said  Tom  Longstone. 

"  There's  some  more  !  "  added  the  sheet-anchor  man. 

This  was  the  first  time  that  Jack  Somers  had  ever  list- 
ened to  the  whizzing  of  a  cannon-ball ;  and  the  sensation 
was  decidedly  novel,  if  not  agreeable.  .  It  was  different 
from  what  our  sailor-boy  had  anticipated.  One  of  the 
ugly  missiles  might  hit  the  first  cutter,  and  smash  her  in 
pieces,  killing  half  her  human  freight.  There  was  no 
chance  to  strike  a  blow  in  self-defence,  or  even  to  fire  a 
shot  in  return  from  the  howitzers  ;  for  the  battery  from 
which  the  shot  came  was  situated  on  the  headland  on  the 
port-hand,  and  more  than  a  mile  distant. 

Mr.  Granger  being  a  prudent  man,  and  unwilling  to 
expose  the  boats'  crews  to  the  fire  of  the  battery,  gave 
orders  for  them  to  pull  up  into  the  favoring  shelter  of  a 
binall  island,  several  of  which  appeared  near  the  en- 


144  THE    SAILOR    LOYj    OR, 

trance  to  the  bay.  The  fort  then  opened  with  shell ;  to 
Avlio.se  hideous  screaming,  Jack  and  a  majority  of  the 
party  listened  for  the  first  time.  The  second-lieuten- 
ant landed  upon  the  island,  and  with  his  glass  made  a 
careful  examination  of  the  battery  and  the  shores  of  the 
bay. 

"  We're  in  the  stocks  !"  said  Tom  Longstone  Avith  the 
peculiar  low  chuckle  with  which  he  often  delivered 
himself. 

"  We  shall  not  stay  here  long  ! "  added  Jack  nervously  ; 
for  the  shells  did  not  sound  pleasantly  to  his  ear. 

"You  aren't  afraid,  are  you,  my  little  lamb?"  de- 
manded Tom. 

"  Of  course  I'm  not  afraid,"  replied  Jack  Avith  a  deep 
blush ;  "  but  I  don't  like  to  lie  here,  and  be  shot  at, 
without  a  chance  of  paying  off  the  rebels  in  their  own 
coin." 

"  It  aren't  pleasant  to  lay  still  under  fire,  my  boy  ;  but 
that's  a  part  of  a  good  seaman's  duty,  and  he  must  take 
things  as  they  come.  Don't  be  alarmed,  Jack :  they 
won't  hit  you." 

"  They  are  just  as  likely  to  hit  me  as  they  are  any  one 
else.  I  should  like  something  to  do,  if  it's  nothing  more 
than  pulling  an  oar." 

"  That's  cause  you're  narvous,  Jack." 

Perhaps  there  were  not  many  in  the  boats  who  were 
not  nervous  as  they  listened  to  the  screaming  shells.  It 


JACK    SOMERS    IN    THE    NAVY.  145 

was  a  new  experience  to  them  ;  and  it  is  not  in  the  na- 
ture of  man  to  stand  in  the  presence  of  death,  without 
being  moved  by  the  peril.  Some  of  the  crew  laughed, 
and  made  fun  of  the  dangerous  missiles  as  they  screeched 
through  the  air,  or  burst  at  very  inconvenient  distances 
from  them  ;  but  it  is  probable  that  those  who  laughed  the 
loudest  were  the  most  afraid,  and  therefore  struggled 
the  hardest  to  avoid  making  an  exhibition  of  their  real 
feelings. 

Tom  Longstone  and  a  few  others  had  been  under  fire 
before ;  and  they  were  as  cool  and  self-possessed  as 
though  they  had  been  on  board  a  receiving-ship  in  a 
peaceful  port.  Mr.  Granger,  who  had  recently  been  pro- 
moted for  gallant  conduct,  seemed  to  be  perfectly  calm, 
paying  no  attention  to  the  shells  which  were  dropping 
around  him.  The  rebels  in  the  fort  had  not  yet  got  the 
range  of  the  island ;  and  their  firing  was  not  accurate, 
though  it  was  rapidly  improving.  At  last,  the  com- 
mander of  the  expedition  finished  his  examination,  and 
walked  toward  the  boats. 

The  crews  of  the  cutters  watched  him  with  eager  in- 
terest :  and  most  of  them  believed,  perhaps  some  hoped, 
that  the  expedition  was  to  be  abandoned ;  for  they  did 
not  see  what  three  boats  could  do  while  exposed  to  the 
fire  of  the  rebel  battery,  whose  guns  commanded  the 
waters  of  the  bay.  Mr.  Granger,  Mr.  McBride,  and 
the  master's  mate  from  the  third  cutter,  held  a  short  con- 

10 


146  THE    SAILOR    BOY;    OB, 

saltation  on  the  shore,  out  of  the  hearing  of  the  men. 
When  it  was  ended,  each  returned  to  his  boat,  and  orders 
were  given  to  cast  off.  It  was  a  moment  of  deep  anxiety 
to  all  the  men ;  for  the  question  of  success  or  failure 
rested  upon  the  decision  of  the  officers. 

The  boats  shoved  off  from  the  land ;  and,  when  the 
men  gave  way,  instead  of  going  about,  they  were  headed 
up  the  bay.  There  was  a  strong  inclination  to  give  three 
cheers  manifested  by  the  more  ardent  spirits  ;  but  it  was 
quickly  repressed  by  a  sharp  Avord  from  the  second-lieu- 
tenant. 

The  boats  were  kept  as  much  as  possible  within  the 
shelter  of  the  range  of  islands  on  the  easterly  side  of  the 
bay,  and  in  a  few  moments  they  had  passed  out  of  reach 
of  the  shells ;  for  the  gunners  in  the  fort,  probably  en- 
veloped in  their  own  smoke,  had  not  discovered  the 
change  of  position  made  by  the  boats. 

"  Steamer  on  the  port-quarter,  sir ! "  shouted  Mr. 
McBride  from  the  second  cutter. 

"  I  see  her  !  "  replied  Mr.  Granger. 

"  Now  look  out  for  squalls,  my  hearties  !  "  said  Tom 
Longstone  in  a  low  voice,  as  he  glanced  at  the  new  en- 
emy, which  was  just  emerging  from  behind  a  headland 
in  the  direction  indicated  by  the  fourth-lieutenant. 

"  We  shall  have  a  fight  yet !  "  added  Jack  uneasily  ; 
for,  on  a  nearer  approach,  a  hand-to-hand  fight  with  the 
rebels  Avas  not  quite  so  sentimental  an  affair  as  it  had 
seemed  to  be  at  a  distance. 


JACK    SOMERS    IN    THE    NAVY.  147 

We  do  not  mean  to  accuse  our  hero  of  being  afraid  ; 
but  the  terrible  inactivity  of  the  moment  was  almost 
insupportable.  He  wanted  to  pitch  right  in,  and  do 
"  a  big  thing."  He  wanted  something  to  do,  so  that  he 
could  prove  to  himself  and  his  companions  that  he  was 
no  coward.  To  sit  in  the  boat  like  a  block  of  wood, 
and  be  shot  at  by  the  rebels,  was  wretched  business  ;  and 
he  hoped  Mr.  Granger  would  pull  out,  and  order  the 
boats'  crews  to  board  the  steamer,  and  not  permit  her  to 
stand  off  and  pelt  them  with  shot  and  shell. 

"  It  will  be  a  smart  fight  too,"  added  Tom. 

"Ay,  ay;  that  it  will.  The  steamer's  cut  us  off! 
I'll  tell  you  what,  Tom :  Mr.  Granger  has  got  us  into  a 
tight  place  ! "  replied  Grummet,  the  sheet-anchor  man. 

"  Let  him  alone  ;  he  knows  what  he's  about,"  an- 
swered the"  veteran. 

"  Don't  ye  see,  Tom,  the  steamer  can  stand  off,  and 
whittle  us  up  into  inch-pieces  ;  and  we  can't  board,  nor 
nothin'  ? " 

"  Leave  all  that  to  Mr.  Granger,"  persisted  Tom, 
whose  long  experience  had  begotten  confidence  in  his 
officers. 

Under  the  lee  of  one  of  the  islands  which  rose  higher 
above  the  water  than  the  others,  the  men  were  ordered  to 
lie  on  their  oars.  The  fort  still  kept  banging  away  at 
the  island  behind  which  the  boats  had  first  taken  refuge. 
The  steamer,  which  was  a  small  river-boat,  drawing  no 


148  TEE    SAILOR    BOY;    OR, 

more  water  than  the  first  cutter,  came  puffing  across  the 
bay,  like  a  man  with  the  asthma,  towards  the  first  island. 
She  was  a  slow  affair,  and  it  took  her  some  time  to  come 
within  hailing  distance  of  the  expedition.  As  she  ap- 
proached the  man-of-war's  boats,  the  fort,  out  of  regard 
for  her  safety,  ceased  firing ;  which  might  have  been 
done  half  an  hour  before,  so  far  as  any  injury  to  the 
cutters  was  concerned. 

"  I  tell  you,  Tom  Longstone,  we  are  booked  for  a  rebel 
prison,  as  sure  as  you  was  born,"  said  Grummet. 

"  Stopper  your  jaw  !  "  replied  Tom  impatiently. 
"  What  are  your  officers  for,  if  they  are  going  for  to 
send  you  to  a  rebel  prison?" 

"Don't  you  see  that  old  snorter  astarn  of  us,  Tom? 
Are  you  goin'  for  to  run  away  from  a  steamboat  ?  " 

"  We  aren't  goin'  for  to  run  away  from  any  thing  that 
shows  a  rebel  rag  at  its  peak,  —  mind  that,  you  old 
croaker ! "  added  Tom.  "  You  aren't  afraid,  are  you, 
Jack?"  continued  he,  putting  his  arm  around  his  protege, 
and  hugging  him  like  a  baby. 

"  Of  course  I'm  not  afraid  ;  only  —  only  "  — 

"What,  my  bleating  little  lamb?" 

"  I  wish  the  fun  would  commence." 

"  See  that,  Tom ! "  continued  the  sheet-anchor  man. 
"  D'ye  see  that  gun  on  the  t'gallant  fo'castle  ?  She  is 
swinging  it  round." 

"  Let  her  swing  it  round,"  snarled  Tom.  "  Now  bat- 
ten down  your  jaw-port  and  don't  groan  any  more." 


JACK    SOMERS    IN    THE    NAVY.  149 

At  this  moment,  an  order  was  heard  for  the  men  to 
give  way  ;  and,  before  the  gun  of  the  steamer  was  ready, 
the  boats  had  doubled  the  island,  and  the  men  were  lying 
upon  their  oars,  with  the  high  land  between  them  and 
the  steamer. 

"  See  that !  "  said  Tom  triumphantly.  "  Mr.  Granger 
knows  all  about  it." 

"  Perhaps  he  do,"  replied  Grummet  doubtfully,  as  a 
shot  from  the  steamer  whizzed  harmlesslv  over  their 
heads. 


150  THE    SAILOR    BOY;    OR", 


CHAPTER    XIV. 

JACK   ON   THE   LOOKOUT. 

ETE  armament  of  the  rebel  steamer  consisted  of 
two  guns,  placed  on  the  main-deck,  forward  of 
the  boilers.  The  hull  set  so,  low  in  the  water, 
that,  while  the  island  lay  between  the  steamer 
and  the  boats  of  the  expedition,  she  was  powerless  to  do 
them  any  injury.  Those  in  the  first  cutter  could  see  the 
smoke-stack  of  the  Wizard  —  which  was  the  name  of  the 
steamer  —  over  the  island,  while  the  crew  of  the  latter 
could  not  even  determine  the  position  of  the  boats. 

The  battle  —  if  the  affair  could  be  dignified  by  such  a 
title  —  promised  to  be  nothing  but  a  game  of  hide-and- 
seek  ;  for,  when  the  Wizard  moved,  the  boats  dodged 
round  the  island,  so  as  to  escape  her  fire.  It  was  "pull," 
and  "  lie  on  your  oars,"  for  half  an  hour.  The  rebel 
battery  on  shore  could  not  interfere  with  the  game,  lost 
the  steamer  should  suffer  from  its  fire. 

Tom  Longstone  sat  upon  the  thwart,  occasionally  in- 
dulging in  his  inward  clmckle,  and  apparently  enjoying 
the  sport  as  keenly  as  a  live  boy  relishes  a  game  of 


JACK    SOMERS    fN    THE    NAVY.  151 

"ball"  or  "high-spy."  Old  Grummet  was  not  at  all 
satisfied  with  the  position  of  affairs.  He  was  a  brave 
mau,  and  ready  to  fight  his  gun  while  there  was  a  plank 
to  stand  on  ;  but  he  was  an  inveterate  croaker.  He  was 
always  afraid  that  the  officers  had  made  some  mistake, 
or  that  they  did  not  see  the  whole  of  the  ground.  Once 
in  a  while,  he  was  kind  enough  to  suggest  the  manner  in 
which  all  three  boats  were  to  be  blown  up,  sunk,  or  cap- 
tured. He  could  see  a  hundred  ways  to  get  into  a  bad 
scrape  ;  but  he  never  troubled  himself  to  consider  how  to 
get  out  of  them. 

"  S'posiu'  another  rebel  steamer  should  come  down 
upon  us,"  growled  Grummet :  "  where  should  we  be 
then  ?  " 

"  I  reckon  we  should  be  just  where  we  are  now,"  re- 
plied Tom,  who  was  the  only  man  that  ventured  to  con- 
front the  grim  sheet-anchor  man,  as  he  doled  out  his  dis- 
mal notes  of  foreboding. 

"  S'posin'  a  company  of  rebel  infantry  should  show 
themselves  on  the  main  shore  there,  not  twenty  fathoms 
from  where  we  were  just  now?" 

"  We'd  have  to  give  'em  a  few  charges  of  grape  from 
that  'ere  howitzer." 

"  There  wouldn't  be  a  man  left  of  us  if  that  should 
happen,  Tom  Longstone  ;  and  you  knows  it." 

"  I  should  like  to  p'int  that  'ere-  howitzer  in  among 
'em,  Grummet." 


152  THE    SAILOR    BOY;    OK, 

"  Silence,  forward  !  "  said  Mr.  Granger  in  a  low,  stern 
tone. 

Tom's  body  shook  with  his  inward  chuckle  as  he 
thought  what  an  awful  deprivation  it  would  be  for  Grum- 
met if  he  had  to  refrain  from  grumbling. 

"  Forward,  there  !  "  said  the  lieutenant.  "  I  want  a 
man  who  is  light  and  smart." 

"I  sir!"  exclaimed  Jack,  springing  up  from  his  po- 
sition under  the  lee  of  the  old  quartermaster,  and  touch- 
ing his  cap. 

Half  a  dozen  others,  answering  to  the  description, 
sprang  up  at  the  same  time,  eager  to  perform  any  service 
which  might  be  required  of  them. 

"  Somers,  you'll  do,"  replied  Mr.  Granger.  "  Come 
aft." 

Jack  passed  along  between  the  rowers  to  the  stern- 
sheets,  and  again  touched  his  cap  to  the  commander  of 
the  expedition. 

"  Do  you  see  the  steamer?"  asked  Mr.  Granger. 

"  Yes,  sir,"  replied  Jack,  glancing  at  the  Wizard's 
smoke-stack,  Avhich  could  still  be  seen  over  the  little 
island. 

"  I  will  land  you  on  the  island ;  and  you  must  creep 
on  your  face  up  to  the  highest  part  of  the  ground,  and 
see  if  you  can  make  out  how  many  men  there  are  ou 
the  steamer.  Do  you  understand  me,  Somers  ?  " 

« I  do,  sir." 


JACK    SOMERS    Iff    THE    NAVY.  153 

"  Now  mind  your  eye,  and  don't  let  them  see  you." 

"Ay,  ay,  sir:  I  will  be  very  careful." 

"  Now  go  forward,  and  be  ready  to  jump  ashore  when 
the  boat  touches." 

Jack  saluted  the  lieutenant,  and  sprang  forward  to  the 
bow  of  the  cutter,  proud  and  happy  to  be  selected  even 
for  the  humble  duty  to  which  he  had  been  ordered. 

"  Good  boy,  Jack  ! "  said  Tom  Longstone  as  our  sailor- 
boy  passed  him  on  his  way  to  the  bow. 

"  What  may  that  'ere  mean  ?  "  queried  Grummet. 

"  Fight !  "  replied  Tom. 

"  He's  goin'  to  board  that  steamer',  as  sure  as  I'm  a 
Yankee,"  added  Grummet,  pulling  out  his  cutlass  from 
under  the  thwart,  and  passing  his  thumb  along  the  edge. 

"  That's  it :  there's  a  hole  in  that  millstone,  least- 
wise," chuckled  Tom. 

"  I  s'pose  he'd  board  a  frigate  if  he  fell  foul  of  one." 

"  No  doubt  on't,"  laughed  Tom. 

"Give  way,  —  easy!"  said  Mr.  Granger;  and  the 
boat  swung  in  so  that  Jack  Somers  could  jump  ashore. 

"  Did  you  say  good -by  to  the  lad  afore  he  went 
ashore?"  continued  Grummet:  "'cause  that's  the  last 
you'll  see  of  him." 

Tom  Longstone  sprang  to  his  feet  at  these  words,  and 
gazed  earnestly  at  Jack  and  at  all  the  surroundings  on 
the  island. 

"  Grummet,  you're  an  old  fool !  "  exclaimed  Tom  an- 


154  THE    SAILOR    BOY;    OR, 

grily,  "  You  frightened  me  more'n  a  whole  frigate's 
broadside  would.  I  thought  the  lad  was  killed  for  sar- 
tin." 

"  He  will  be,  soon." 

"Avast  there  !  If  you  don't  stop  growling,  I'll  heave 
you  overboard." 

"  Silence  forward  !  "  said  Mr.  Granger. 

The  command  was  obeyed,  and  the  sheet-anchor  man's 
savage  reply  was  nipped  in  the  bud.  Tom  was  too  much 
interested  in  the  movements  of  his  young  friend  on  the 
island  to  give  any  further  attention  to  his  unhappy  ship- 
mate in  the  boat.  Jack,  as  directed,  crept  on  his  stomach 
up  the  ascent  of  the  island  till  his  head  had  reached  the 
highest  point,  from  which  he  could  look  down  on  the 
low  deck  of  the  Wizard. 

Our  sailor-boy  Avas  a  very  good  scholar  for  one  who  had 
enjoyed  only  the  privileges  of  a  district  school ;  but  it  did 
not  require  a  very  profound  knowledge  of  arithmetic  to 
solve  the  problem  which  had  been  imposed  upon  him. 
The  men  in  the  rebel  steamer  were  all  gathered  upon  the 
forward-deck  ;  and,  according  to  our  mathematician's  es- 
timate, they  numbered  about  thirty.  They  Avould  not 
stand  still  long  enough  to  be  counted  with  entire  accu- 
racy •;  but  Jack  satisfied  himself  that  this  was  very  nearly 

her  force. 

• 

He  was  about  to  retire  from  his  position,  and  report 
the  result  of  the  examination,  when  certain  movements 


JACK    SOMERS    IN    THE    NAVY  155 

on  board  of  the  Wizard  decided  him  to  remain  a  few 
moments  longer.  The  steamer  had  run  up  close  to  the 
island  ;  and  her  deck-hands  were  now  in  the  act  of  pass- 
ing the  gang-planks  to  the  shore,  evidently  with  the  in- 
tention of  landing  her  men.  Jack  did  not  want  to  see 
any  more ;  but,  retreating  from  his  position  with  all 
haste,  he  leaped  into  the  boat. 

"Well,  Somers?"  demanded  Mr.  Granger  in  sharp, 
quick  tones ;  for  the  speed  which  the  scout  had  used  in 
his  return  conveyed  the  impression  that  the  whole  expe- 
dition was  in  imminent  danger. 

"  They  have  run  the  gang-planks  ashore,  sir ;  and  I 
suppose  they  are  going  to  land." 

"  How  many  men  have  they?" 

"About  thirty,  sir." 

"Did  you  count  them? " 

"As  well  as  I  could,  sir." 

"Are  there  a  hundred  of  them?"  asked  Mr.  Granger 
sharply. 

"  No,  sir :  the  number  won't  vary  half  a  dozen  from 
what  I  said." 

"  Very  well,  Somers.  Are  you  willing  to  go  up 
again  ?  " 

"  I  am,  sir,"  promptly  replied  Jack. 

"  Go,  then.     Are  your  pistols  loaded?" 

"  Yes,  sir." 

"If  the  boats  are  in  immediate  danger,  fire  your  pis- 
tol, and  make  your  way  back  as  fast  as  you  can." 


15(5  THE    SAILOR    BOY;    OR, 

Jack  touched  his  cap,  adjusted  his  pistol  in  his  belt, 
and  sprang  forward  to  perform  the  important  service 
intrusted  to  him. 

"  Keep  your  weather-eye  wide  open,  Jack,  my  dar- 
ling," said  Tom  Longstone  as  he  passed  the  old  seaman. 

"Ay, ay,  Tom!"  replied  the  sailor-boy  as  he  sprang 
to  the  stem  of  the  cutter,  and  leaped  ashore  again. 

He  had  not  been  absent  more  than  five  minutes  from 
the  crest  of  the  island :  but  the  rebels  had  been  indus* 
trious  during  that  short  period ;  and  one  of  the  Wizard's 
guns,  which  was  an  ordinary  field-piece,  was  on  the  gang,- 
planks,  ready  to  be  rolled  on  shore. 

Jack  Somers  was  not  a  brigadier-general,  nor  was  he 
a  proficient  in  naval  or  military  tactics  ;  but  the  plan  of 
the  rebels  was  as  transparent  to  him  as  though  he  had 
been  a  graduate  of  Annapolis  or  West  Point.  The  in- 
formation he  had  obtained  was  very  important ;  and, 
without  waiting  to  make  any  further  observations,  he 
hastened  back  to  the  boat,  and  reported  the  operations  of 
the  enemy. 

He  tried  to  keep  cool,  and  not  appear  to  be  excited  by 
the  revelation  he  made.  He  thought  he  had  something 
astounding  to  tell ;  and  so  he  had,  perhaps :  but,  to  his 
intense  astonishment,  Mr.  Granger  did  not  appear  to  be 
alarmed.  He  did  uot  rattle  off  any  hasty  orders  such  as 
he  had  read  in  naval  romances. 

In  Jack's  opinion,  it  was  time  something  was  done ; 


JACK    SOMERS    IN    THE    NAVY.  157 

but  Mr.  Granger  seemed  to  be  provokingly  indifferent  to 
the  importance  of  the  announcement  he  had  just  made  to 
him. 

"  You  have  done  well,  Somers,"  said  the  commander 
of  the  expedition  ;  whereat  Jack  touched  his  cap,  and 
would  have  blushed  if  he  had  not  fully  expected  to  see 
the  rebels  pitch  into  them  the  next  minute.  "Are  you 
willing  to  go  again  ?  " 

"  I  am,  sir  !  "  replied  Jack  as  readily  as  before,  though 
he  was  utterly  confounded  at  the  question. 

"Go  up  once  more,  and  see  whether  they  are  landing 
the  other  gun,  Somers." 

Our  hero  touched  his  cap  again  ;  for,  in  spite  of  the 
excitement  of  the  moment,  he  did  not  forget  his  man- 
ners, and  sprang  ashore  for  the  third  time.  Cautiously 
ascending  the  slope  of  the  little  hill,  he  again  reached  his 
position  at  its  summit.  The  other  gun  had  not  been 
landed  ;  the  gang-planks  had  been  hauled  on  board  ;  and 
a  squad  of  men  had  been  sent  on  shore  to  work  the  field- 
piece  already  on  the  island.  Jack  wanted  to  know  what 
the  Wizard  was  going  to  do  before  he  reported  this  time  ; 
and  he  determined  to  wait  a  moment  longer,  when  this 
question  would  be  decided. 

The  gunners  on  the  island  were  only  a  few  yards  dis- 
tant from  him,  crouching  upon  the  ground ;  and  none 
of  them  spoke  above  a  whisper,  lest  their  movements 
should  be  betrayed  to  the  boats  on  the  other  side  of  the 


158  THE    SAILOR    BOY;    OR, 

island.  Jack  thought  he  was  in  a  very  ticklish  situa- 
tion ;  and,  for  his  greater  personal  security,  he  drew 
back  a  few  feet,  so  that  no  inquisitive  rebel  should  get 
the  range  of  his  blue  cap.  As  he  did  so,  he  glanced  at 
the  navy  revolver  which  he  carried  in  his  right  hand 
to  assure  himself  that  it  was  in  readiness  to  give  the 
required  signal  if  the  occasion  demanded  it. 

The  pistol  was  all  right ;  and,  after  waiting  a  moment, 
he  heard  the  splash  of  the  Wizard's  paddle.  Advancing 
again  to  the  crest  of  the  hillock,  he  raised  his  head  to 
obtain  his  final  glance  at  the  scene  of  operations.  The 
steamer  was  certainly  moving  off;  but  a  more  prominent 
object,  nearer  to  him,  claimed  all  his  attention  at  this 
moment.  Directly  in  front  of  him,  and  not  three  feet 
distant,  was  a  pair  of  rebel  eyes,  each  of  which  seemed 
to  be  as  big  as  the  rebel  steamer. 

The  enemy,  knoAving  and  appreciating  the  value  of 
correct  and  seasonable  information,  had  sent  a  man  to 
the  crest  of  the  hill  to  perform  a  service  identical  with 
that  which  had  devolved  upon  our  hero.  It  would  not 
be  of  any  use  to  stop  and  consider  which  of  these  scouts 
was  the  most  astonished  as  he  gazed  into  the  eager  orbs 
of  the  other ;  for  the  question  presents  too  many  difficul- 
ties  for  a  just  settlement.  Both  of  them  were  astonished  ; 
but,  fortunately  for  Jack,  he  was  in  a  better  state  of 
preparation  for  the  unexpected  event  than  his  adversary. 

The  rebels  below  were  rolling  up  the  field-piece  where 


JACK    SOMERS   IN    THE   NAVY.  159 

it  could  be  brought  to  bear  upon  the  boats,  and  Jack 
considered  himself  fully  justified  in  giving  the  signal  for 
imminent  danger  ;  and  his  pistol  being  loaded  with  patrnt 
metallic  cartridges,  each  of  which  contained  its  adjusted 
allowance  of  cold  lead,  he  concluded  to  fire  a  shotted 
salute,  as  Lieuteuant-Geueral  Grant  has  since  done  on 
several  eminently  proper  occasions. 

Jack  was  prompt  and  decided,  —  traits  of  chara^er 
which  he  and  his  brother  Tom  inherited  in  common  frcra 
three  generations  of  shipmasters.  He  saw  the  pair  of 
rebel  eyes  glaring  upon  him  the  first  instant ;  and  he 
raised  his  revolver,  and  fired  the  second.  The  cold  lead, 
before  mentioned,  passed  between  the  glowing  orbs  in 
front  of  him,  crushing  through  the  brain  of  their  owner. 

The  sailor-boy  felt  a  cold  tremor  creep  throiigh  his 
veins  as  the  rebel  gunner  convulsively  sprang  upward, 
and  then  dropped  dead  upon  the  ground.  His  self-pos- 
session did  not  forsake  him ;  and,  without  stopping  for 
further  developments,  he  rushed  down  to  the  boat  with 
all  the  speed  he  could  command. 

His  face  was  almost  as  pale  as  that  of  the  dead  rebel 
on  the  hill  when  he' leaped  into  the  boat.  His  lip  trem- 
bled ;  but  it  was  with  an  emotion  other  than  fear.  He 
had  slain  a  human  being.  He  had  seen  his  bullet  enter 
the  brain  of"  a  fellow-creature.  His  first  experience  of 
the  awful  solemnity  of  war  was  too  minute  in  detail  to 
be  pleasant,  or  even  exhilarating. 


ICO  THE    SAILOR    BOY;    OH, 

"  Report,  Somers,  at  once  ! "  said  Mr.  Granger  ear- 
nestly. 

"  The  steamer  is  moving  off,  sir.  There  are  twelve 
men  and  one  gun  on  the  island.  They  arc  moving  up 
the  gun  to  the  top  of  the  hill.  I  killed  one  of  the  men." 

"  Give  way  !  "  said  Mr.  Granger  ;  and  the  boats  moved 
out  from  the  island. 


JACK    SOMERS    IN    THE   NAVY.  161 


CHAPTER    XV. 

THE    C.    S.    STEAMER   WIZARD. 

•UCCESSFUL  strategy  owes  as  much  to  the 
stupidity  and  inertness  of  one  party  as  it  does 
to  the  shrewdness  and  activity  of  the  other.  If 
Mr.  Granger  had  not  been  shrewd  in  discov- 
ering the  purpose  of  the  rebels,  and  active  in  defeating 
it,  in  a  few  minutes  more  they  would  probably  have  fired 
into  the  boats,  and  either  suuk'them,  or  driven  them  from 
their  hiding-place  under  the  lee  of  the  island.  Whoever 
commanded  the  rebels  must  have  seen  that  the  man-of- 
war  boats  could  keep  out  of  the  way  of  the  Wizard's  gun 
by  dodging  round  the  island,  and  that  the  game  of 
"hide-and-seek"  would  be  prolonged  till  his  Southern 
patience  was  entirely  exhausted. 

By  landing  the  gun  on  the  island,  he  expected  to  drive 
the  boats  away  from  their  covert,  and  enable  the  steamer 
to  destroy  or  capture  them.  From  the  information  that 
,T;u  k  Somers  had  procured,  it  was  further  evident  that 
the  rebels  indulged  the  hope  of  surprising  the  boat- 
•expedition.  The  gunners  whom  he  had  seen  were  roll- 


162  THE    SAILOR    BOY;    OK, 

ing  the  field-piece  up  the  slope  with  the  utmost  caution. 
Not  one  of  them  spoke  a  Avord  ;  and  all  of  them  crouched 
down,  so  that  not  a  head  should  be  seen  over  the  crest  of 
the  island.  The  stealthy  movements  of  the  man  whose 
eager  eyes  Jack  had  confronted  furnished  additional  tes- 
timony on  this  point. 

It  is  plain,  then,  that,  if  Mr.  Granger  had  not  thought 
to  send  a  lookout-man  to  the  high  ground,  he  would  have 
been  caught  in  the  trap  which  the  enemy  set  for  him. 
He  had  discovered  the  plan ;  arid  he  could  now  see  the 
.  smoke-stack  of  the  steamer  receding  from  the  island. 
She  was  to  obtain  a  position  so  that  she  could  open  upon 
the  boats  the  moment  they  were  driven  away  from  the 
shore  by  the  piece  she  had  landed.  Mr.  Granger  did  not 
become  a  victim  of  the  enemy's  strategy.  His  prudence 
and  forethought  had  defeated  it. 

Almost  all  strategetic  operations  are  attended  with  more 
or  less  risk.  The  movements  uncover  some  assailable 
point.  Mr.  Granger  was  actually  pleased  with  the  strat- 
egy of  the  rebels  on  this  occasion.  He  and  his  opponent 
had  commenced  a  hew  game  to  determine  which  was  the 
abler  strategist.  Thus  far,  he  had  exhibited  neither  the 
stupidity  nor  the  inertness  that  belongs  to  the  victim  of 
successful  strategy. 

"  Give  way ! "  said  Mr.  Granger,  glancing  at  the 
smoke-stack  of  the  Wizard. 

The  men  pulled  the  steady  man-of-war  stroke  which 


JACK    SOMJinS    IN    THE    NAVY.  163 

discipline  had  rendered  so  familiar  to  them.  There  was 
no  hurry  or  nervousness  in  their  movements.  Not  a 
man  "crabbed  his  oar"  or  lost  his  stroke,  though  the 
race  appeared  to  be  for  life,  certainly  for  success.  Mr. 
Granger  sat  in  the  stern-sheets  as  calm  as  a  block  of 
marble.  His  demeanor  impressed  the  men  with  the  be- 
lief that  he  knew  what  he  was  about.  They  had  confi- 
dence in  him,  and  were  ready  to  run  or  fight  as  ordered, 
without  asking  a  question  or  suggesting  a  doubt.  If  this 
was  not  true  of  all  the  blue-jackets,  it  certainly  was  of  all 
but  Grummet ;  and  he  growled  more  from  the  force  of 
habit  than  from  want  of  confidence  in  his  officers. 

After  the  boats  had  pulled  a  short  distance,  the  orcWb 
was  given  for  the  rowers  to  lie  on  their  oars.  The  com- 
mander of  the  expedition  kept  one  eye  on  the  smoke-stack 
of  the  steamer ;  and  as  soon  as  she  swung  round,  and 
headed  towards  the  north  side  of  the  island,  he  was  ready 
to  develop  his  next  movement. 

"  Give  way  with  a  will !  "  said  he,  as  he  gave  orders 
to  his  cockswain  in  what  direction  to  steer. 

The  boats  were  headed  round  the  south  end  of  the 
island,  while  the  "Wizard  was  going  round  the  north  end. 

"Clear  away  your  guns  forward  !  "  said  Mr.  Granger. 

Old  Grummet  sprang  to  the  howitzer  in  the  first  cut- 
ter. A  grim  smile  lighted  up  his  face  as  he  adjusted  the 
tackle,  and  put  the  piece  in  condition  for  instant  use. 
Tom.  Longstone  was  with  him,  and  the  most  perfect  hai-- 


164  THE    SAILOR    BOY;    OR, 

rnony  now  subsisted  between  them.  While  they  were 
thus  eugaged,  the  officer  in  each  boat  detailed  seven  men 
to  act  as  "  boarders." 

"  Now,  Jack,  my  beauty,  you  are  goin'  to  see  some 
fightin',"  said  Tom,  when  the  gun  was  ready  for  use. 

"  That's  so,  Tom  ;  and  I'm  in  for  my  share  of  it." 

"  So  you  be,  Jack.     I  see  you've  got  a  cutlash." 

"I'm  one  of  the  boarding-party." 

"  Now,  stand  right  up  to  it,  Jack,  like  a  man," 

"  Oh  !  you  needn't  be  afraid  of  me.  I've  got  my  hand 
in  already,"  replied  Jack,  as  he  glanced  at  the  weapon 
he  carried. 

'^"Yes,  and  you'll  be  butchered  like  a  young  pig," 
sneered  old  Grummet.  "  It's  worse  nor  murder  to  send 
little  boys  like  that  to  board  the  lubbers  on  the  island. 
Why  don't  he  send  men  as  is  fit  for  such  work  ?  " 

"  Yeu  needn't  have  any  fears  about  me,  Grummet. 
I'll  do  my  share  of  the  work :  if  I  don't,  you  may  call 
me  a  marine." 

"  You're  a  good  boy  enough,  my  lad ;  but  you  aren't 
no  more  fit  for  such  work  than  the  Evil  Sperit  is  for  a 
missionary,"  added  Grummet  more  graciously. 

"All  ready  forward?"  said  Mr.  Granger. 

"All  ready,  sir  !  "  answered  Grummet,  Avho  was  acting 
as  captain  of  the  gun. 

The  boats  were  now  rounding  the  end  of  the  island ; 
and  a  few  more  strokes  of  the  oars  brought  them  to  a 


JACK    SOMERS    IN    THE    NAVY.  165 

point  where  the  officers  could  see  the  gun  on  shore,  and 
the  men  who  were  putting  it  in  position  for  use. 

"  Give  way  with  a  will !  "  shouted  Mr.  Granger,  as  he 
passed  forward  to  the  howitzer  in  the  bow  of  the  cutter. 

The  men  redoubled  their  efforts  at  the  oars,  till  they 
bent  like  reeds  in  their  hands. 

While  they  were  making  these  preparations  for  the 
bold  assault,  the  rebels  on  shore  were  not  idle.  They 
dragged  the  gun  to  a  place  where  it  commanded  the 
boats  ;  and,  when  the  first  cutter  was  within  ten  rods 
of  the  shore,  a  solid  shot  whizzed  over  her,  and  plunged 
into  the  water  between  the  second  and  third  cutters, 
which  were  only  a  short  distance  astern  of  her. 

At  this  moment,  Mr.  Granger  sighted  the  howitzer  in 
the  bow  of  his  boat,  and  ordered  the  man  at  the  lanyard 
to  fire.  At  the  same  time,  the  second  and  third  cutters 
followed  the  example  of  the  first.  The  rebels,  discover- 
ing the  intention  of  the  boats  in  season,  threw  themselves 
flat  on  the  ground  behind  the  crest  of  the  island,  and  thus 
escaped  all  injury.  The  fire  of  neither  party  was  effect- 
ual ;  and  the  gunners  on  the  island,  perhaps  appreciating 
the  celerity  with  which  old  man-of-war's-men  handle  a 
gun,  instead  of  loading  up  their  piece,  and  firing  again, 
busied  themselves  in  dragging  it  over  the  top  of  the 
island,  Avhere  they  could  work  it  without  being  exposed 
to  the  fire  of  the  boats. 

While  the  rebels  were  tugging  away  at  tlic'ir  gun,  tht* 


1C6  THE    SAILOR    BOY;    OK, 

three  cutters  dashed  up  to  the  shore  ;  for  it  was  no  part 
of  Mr.  Granger's  plan  to  remain  in  the  boats,  and  let  the 
gunners  knock  them  to  pieces  at  their  leisure.  As  the 
first  cutter  touched  the  island,  he  drew  his  sword,  and 
put  on  a  very  business-like  air,  which  Jack  could  not 
help  admiring.  He  seemed  to  be  as  much  at  ease  as 
though  the  success  of  his  strategy  had  already  been  de- 
monstrated, and  his  work  actually  accomplished. 

"  Boarders,  away !  "  said  he  in  his  quick,  sharp  tones, 
as  he  leaped  on  shore,  followed  by  the  seven  men  from 
the  first  cutter  who  had  been  detailed  for  the  purpose. 

His  party  was  immediately  re-enforced  by  the  fourteen 
men  from  the  other  boats  ;  and,  starting  off  at  a  run, 
they  advanced  towards  the  gun  at  the  summit  of  the  hill. 
Probably  at  this  time  the  commander  of  the  rebels  dis- 
covered what  an  awful  blunder  he  had  made  ;  and,  very 
likely,  visions  of  a  court-martial  began  to  dance  before 
his  vision.  But,  if  no  one  made  blunders  in  war,  it  would 
be  a  more  trying  and  difficult  game  than  it  is  at  present. 

The  boarding-party  rushed  upon  their  prey  ;  for,  with 
two  to  one  of  the  rebels,  they  could  hardly  be  regarded 
in  any  other  light.  They  saw  the  gleaming  cutlasses  of 
the  blue-jackets,  and  the  dash  and  fury  with  which  they 
advanced.  A  few  pistols  were  fired :  but  the  resistance 
was  brief  and  feeble  ;  and,  in  less  time  than  it  would 
lake  to  describe  the  operation,  the  rebels  were  borne 
-low n  and  captured.  Two  of  the  gunners  were  wounded, 


JACK    SOMERS    IN    THE    NAVY.  167 

and  one  of  the  boarding-party  had  a  pistol  ball  through 
his  right  arm. 

Twelve  of  the  men  were  ordered  to  drag  the  gun  down 
to  the  water,  while  six  more  marched  the  prisoners  in 
the  same  direction.  The  latter  were  disarmed,  and  the 
ammunition  for  the  field-piece  thrown  into  the  water. 
Four  men,  doubly  armed,  were  detailed  to  guard  the 
rebels ;  the  assistant-surgeon  was  sent  on  shore  to  dress 
the  wounds  of  the  injured  men  ;  and  the  rest  of  the 
party  returned  to  their  places  in  the  boats. 

As  soon  as  Mr.  Granger  had  given  his  orders  for  the 
disposition  of  the  prisoners  and  the  wounded,  —  for  he 
did  not  deem  it  advisable  to  encumber  the  boats  with 
them  in  the  more  difficult  and  dangerous  work  yet  to  be 
performed  by  the  expedition,  —  he  returned  to  the  first 
cutter.  He  had  carefully  watched  the  movements  of 
the  Wizard  during  these  exciting  moments.  She  was 
now  sweeping  round  the  south  end  of  the  island. 

Mr.  Granger  had  now  a  double  duty  to  perform  in 
protecting  his  party,  and  preventing  the  recapture  of  his 
prisoners  on  shore.  There  was  apparently  no  opportu- 
nity for  the  practice  of  strategy ;  and  it  looked  very 
much  like  a  hand-to-hand  fight  for  the  possession  of  the 
steamer.  The  cool  lieutenant  in  command  gave  his 
orders  to  Mr.  McBride  and  the  master's  mate  in  charge 
of  the  third  cutter,  and  in  a  few  energetic  words  in- 
form<'d  Sir,1  men  what  he  intended  to  do,  and  urged  them 
to  do  their  duty  as  American  seamen. 


168  THE    SAILOR    BOY;    OR, 

His  address  was  received  with  a  lusty  cheer,  and  the 
boats  were  ordered  to  cast  off.  The  steamer  continued 
ou  her  course  towards  the  place  where  the  cutters  had 
landed  ;  her  people  probably  being  not  yet  fully  aware  of 
the  extent  of  the  catastrophe  which  had  overtaken  their 
auxiliary  force  on  shore. 

"  Give  way,  my  lads  !  "  said  Mr.  Granger,  when  the 
boats  had  shoved  off;  and  on  they  dashed  tOAvards  the 
Wizard,  which  was  now  only  a  few  rods  distant. 

Twelve  men  from  each  boat  were  ordered  to  act  as 
boarders,  and  the  guns  in  the  bows  were  in  readiness  to 
open  on  the  steamer.  At  the  right  time,  the  command 
was  given  to  fire,  and  the  howitzers  sent  their  charges 
of  grape  into  the  Wizard,  Before  the  people  in  the  boats 
could  ascertain  the  effect  of  the  shot,  the  steamer  returned 
the  fire  with  solid  shot.  The  ball  struck  the  second  cut- 
ter on  the  quarter ;  glancing  off,  however,  so  as  to  inflict 
but  little  damage. 

"  Give  way  lively,  my  lads  !  "  shouted  Mr.  Granger. 

"  Now,  my  baby,  don't  you  let  'em  hurt  you,"  said 
Tom  Longstone.  "  We  shall  be  aboard  of  'em  in  half  a 
minute  more  " 

"  I'll  do  my  duty,  Tom.  If  any  thing  happens  to  me, 
you  will  ask  Mr.  Bankhead  to  write  to  my  mother,  won't 
you  ? '' 

"  Sartain,  my  lad  ;  but  you  mustn't  let  'cm  hurt  you, 
my  little  infant.  Keep- your  cut  lash  (lying;  and  have 
-  your  pistol  handy  for  use,  if  you  git  in  a  tight  place." 


JACK    SOMERS    IX    THE   NAVY  169 

"  Steady !  Lie  on  your  oars  ! "  said  Mr.  Granger, 
whose  boat  was  a  little  in  advance  of  the  others. 

"  See  him ! "  added  Tom,  glancing  at  the  officer  in 
command.  "Isn't  he  a  darling?  See  how  he  does  it ! 
That  man  ought  to  be  a  commodore.  See  that !  There 
comes  the  second  cutter ;  and  there  goes  the  third  cutter, 
—  she  is  going. to  board  her  over  the  starn,  while  we 
take  her  on  for'ard." 

"Give  way,  my  men  ! "  said  Mr.  jGranger  in  a  deep, 
energetic  tone,  which  seemed  to  electrify  the  muscles  of 
the  oarsmen.  "  All  ready  there,  forward !  Steady ! 
Avast  pulling ! "  he  added,  as  the  first  cutter  darted  in 
under  the  port  bow  of  the  steamer. 

"  All  ready,  my  darling ! "  said  Tom  Longstone  in  a 
low,  encouraging  tone  ;  for  he  seemed  to  feel  that  it  was 
part  of  his  duty  to  keep  up  Jack's  courage  during  this 
trying  ordeal. 

Our  sailor-boy,  however,  needed  no  such  stimulus. 
He  was  fully  alive  to  the  duty  of  the  hour,  —  anxious  to 
honor  his  flag,  and  distinguish  himself.  He  had  been  in 
one  slight  brush  with  the  rebels,  and  was  fully  prepared 
/or  the  desperate  work  before  him. 

"  Boarders  away  !  "  cried  Mr.  Granger. 

"  Boarders  away  !  "  shouted  Mr.  McBride,  in  the  sec- 
ond cutter  on  the  starboard  bow,  al  the  same  instant. 

The  rebels  on  the  deck  of  the  Wizard  were  in  readi- 
ness to  repel  boarders ;  and  the  first  gallant  tar  who 


170  THE    SAILOR    EOT;    OR, 

leaped  on  board  fell  back  with  a  ball  through  his  heart. 
The  second  was  pierced  with  a  bayonet ;  but  he  was  fol- 
lowed by  Tom  Longstone,  whose  cutlass  cleft  the  skull 
of  the  rebel  who  disputed  his  passage. 

"  Lay  'em  aboard,  my  lads  !  Sweep  the  decks  !  " 
shouted  Mr.  Granger,  as  he  gained  a  footing  upon  the 
forecastle  of  the  Wizard. 

Jack  Somers  was  by  the  side  of  Tom ;  but  he  had 
scarcely  reached  the^  deck  before  he  saw  a  rebel  bayonet 
darting  towards  his  heart.  Turning  it  aside  with  a  blow 
of  his  cutlass,  he  fired  his  pistol,  and  the  man  dropped. 

"  No  pistols  !  Don't  fire  a  pistol !  "  exclaimed  Mr. 
Granger,  turning  round  to  see  who  had  done  so.  "  You 
will  hit  our  own  men  on  the  starboard  side  !  " 

When  the  commander  turned,  a  rebel  soldier  rushed 
upon  him.  He  had  lost  his  gun  in  the  affray ;  and  he 
sprang  at  the  throat  of  Mr.  Granger,  evidently  with  the 
intention  of  wrenching  his  sword  from  his  grasp.  Jack 
saw  the  movement,  and  received  the  soldier  upon  the 
point  of  his  cutlass,  and  beat  him  back. 

The  soldiers  on  board  fought  with  desperate  energy ; 
but  the  determination  of  the  seamen  drove  them  back 
towards  the  stern  of  the  steamer,  where,  by  this  time, 
the  boarding-party  from  the  third  cutter  had  gained  the 
deck.  They  saw  their  fate,  if  they  persisted  ;  and  one  by 
one  they  surrendered  to  the  victors,  and  the  Wizard  was 
in  possession  of  the  cutters'  .men. 


JACK    SOMERS    IN    THE    NAVY.  171 

"Are  you  hurt,  my  dear?"  demanded  Tom  Longstoue 
when  the  fighting  was  finished. 

"  Not  a  bit,  Tom.     How  is  it  with  you  ?  " 

"  Nothing  to  speak  of,  my  lad :  only  a  slash  in  the 
hand  with  a  bagonet.  The  bloody  rebel  had  near- 
a'most  harpooned  me  like  a  dolphin,  when  I  caught 
the  tool  in  my  hand,"  replied  Tom,  as  he  exhibited  the 
wounded  member.  "  Got  a  hankercher,  Jack?" 

The  article  was  furnished ;  and  Tom  wrapped  up  his 
wound,  and  then  seemed  to  forget  all  about  it. 

"  The  steamer  is  ours  ! "  said  Mr.  Granger,  after  tha 
last  soldier  and  deck-hand  had  been  secured. 

"  Hurrah  !  "  yelled  the  blue-jackets  ;  and  the  cry  was. 
taken  up  by  the  men  in  the  boats,  who  had  not  been  per- 
mitted to  have  an  active  part  in  the  encounter. 


172  THE    SAILOR    EOT,    OR, 


CHAPTER    XVI. 

THE    SHORE    BATTERY. 

'HE  engineer  of  the  Wizard  had  stopped  her 
when  the  combat  commenced ;  for  she  was 
headed  directly  for  the  shorer  During  the  fight, 
she  had  drifted  up  within  a  few  feet  of  the 
island.  Among  the  volunteers  in  the  second  cutter 
was  one  of  the  third  assistant-engineers,  to  whom  the 
charge  of  the  machinery  was  immediately  committed. 
The  negro  firemen  of  the  steamer  were  not  sorry  for 
the  change  which  had  taken  place  in  the  ownership  of 
the  craft ;  and  all  of  them,  having  no  love  for  the  rebel 
Confederacy,  promptly  offered  to  continue  their  labors  in 
the  firing  department. 

The  intense  exertions  and  excitement  of  the  men  had 
fatigued  them  very  much ;  and,  when  the  struggle  was 
ended,  they  sat  down  wherever  they  could  find  a  place  to 
rest  themselves  and  recover  their  breath.  The  teen  in 
the  boats  attended  to  the  wounded  of  both  parties.  The 
first  cutter  brought  off  the  assistant-surgeon  from  the 
island,  and  every  thing  was  done  that  their  condition 


JACK    SOMERS    IN    THE    NAVY.  173 

required  The  sufferers  Avere  placed  in  the  cabin,  and 
included  five  sailors  and  eight  rebels.  Of  the  boats' 
crews,  only  one  had  been  killed  ;  aud  the  bodies  of  three 
of  the  enemy  lay  upon  the  forward-deck  of  the  Wizard. 

"  Somers,  you  did  me  a  good  turn  in  the  action,  which 
I  shall  not  soon  forget,"  said  Mr.  Granger,  when  the 
excitement  had  subsided. 

Jack  touched  his  cap,  blushed,  and  stammered  out  that 
he  hoped  he  had  done  his  duty.  He  had  tried  to  do  the 
best  he  could. 

"  You  have  done  nobly,  my  lad ;  and  I  shall  have  a 
good  report  of  you  for  the  captain,  and  a  gentleman  in 
the  wardroom,  who  has  a  strong  interest  in  your  wel- 
fare." 

"  Thank  you,  sir  !  "  replied  Jack,  blushing  more  deeply 
as  he  touched  his  cap  again. 

"  The  men  all  did  well,  —  behaved  admirably  ;  but  no 
one  better  than  yourself,  my  lad,"  said  he,  turning  to  the 
seamen,  who  were  seated  in  little  groups  on  the  deck  of 
the  steamer.  "  Our  real  work  hasn't  commenced  yet." 

"  Hurrah  !  "  shouted  the  blue-jackets,  jumping  to  their 
feet,  and  displaying  their  readiness  to  engage  the  enemy 
wherever  occasion  might  require. 

"  We  came  off  to  do  a  certain  work ;  and  we  should 
have  done  it  before  this  time,  if  this  steamer  hadn't 
come  athwart  our  hawse.  But  I  intend  to  do  it  before 
we  return  to  the  ship." 


174  THE    SAILOR    K  O  T ;    OK, 

"  Hurrah  !  "  repeated  the  blue-jackets. 

"  I  perceive  you  are  all  ready  to  stand  by  me,  and  see 
it  through." 

"Ay  ay,  sir!"  responded  the  men  in  prompt  and 
hearty  tones. 

"  Then  we  will  go  to  work  at  once." 

The  Wizard  was  run  up  to  the  island,  the  wounded 
men  on  shore  conveyed  to  the  cabin,  and  the  field-piece 
placed  in  position  on  the  forward-deck.  In  addition  to 
this  armament,  two  of  the  boat-howitzers  were  hoisted 
on  board,  and  other  preparations  made,  which  indicated 
sharp  work,  and  that  Mr.  Granger  intended  the  steamer 
should  be  used  for  fighting  purposes.  The  expedition 
was,  to  some  extent,  re-organized.  Gun-crews  were 
placed  at  the  battery,  and  men  detailed  to  serve  iu  the 
boats,  Avhich  were  to  be  towed  by  the  steamer. 

Mr.  Granger  had  noticed  the  strong  friendship  subsist- 
ing between  Tom  Longstone  and  Jack  ;  and,  Avhen  he 
made  the  former  captain  of  one  of  the  captured  guns,  he 
ordered  Jack  to  serve  as  first  train-tackle  man,  which 
gave  him  a  position  alongside  the  veteran. 

"  You'll  do,  quartermaster,"  said  the  commander.  u  I 
know  I  can  trust  you." 

"  Thank  you,  sir,"  replied  Tom  reverently.  "  I  beg 
your  honor's  pardon  ;  but  I  must  ax  permission  to  go  and 
see  the  doctor  for  a  couple  of  seconds." 

"Are  you  wounded,  my  man?' 


JACK    SOMERS    IN    THE   NAVY.  175 

"  Nothing  to  speak  of,  your  honor  :  only  a  slash  in  the 
hand  with  a  soger's  bagonet.  But  I  could  work  better 
if  the  doctor  would  put  a  bit  of  plaster  on  it." 

"  Go  :  we  can  spare  you  for  an  hour  or  more." 

"Thank  your  honor ;  but  I  won't  be  gone  above  two 
mimites,"  answered  Tom,  saluting  the  officer,  and  run- 
ning up  the  stairs  to  the  cabin-deck. 

"  Goin'  to  lose  this  here  steamer  now  we've  got  it," 
said  the  inevitable  Grummet,  who  was  captain  of  one  of 
the  howitzers,  when  Mr.  Granger  went  up  to  the  wheel- 
house  to  superintend  the  steering  of  the  Wizard.  "  Well, 
she  aren't  fit  for  nothin'  else,"  he  added,  as  he  glanced 
around  him  at  the  build  of  the  steamer. 

"  She's  a  good  enough  boat,  isn't  she?"-  asked  Jack. 

"  What's  she  good  for  ?  What  was  the  lubber  thinkin' 
of  when  he  built  such  a  top-heavy,  top-sided  consarn  as 
this?  I  wouldn't  trust  the  cap'u's  monkey  in  her." 

"  She  is  a  fresh- water  steamer,  built  to  run  on  the 
rivers  and  lakes  about  here." 

"  I  wouldn't  cross  a  mud-puddle  in  her.  A  five-knot 
breeze  would  blow  her  over.  She  looks  more  like  a 
grocery-store  nor  she  do  like  a  wessel." 

"  This  is  the  kind  of  steamer  they  use  on  all  the  West- 
ern rivers,"  added  Jack,  who  had  often  seen  pictures  of 
this  kind  of  craft  in  the  illustrated  newspapers  ;  which, 
by  the  way,  have  done  an  important  work  in  making  up 
the  history  of  this  war. 


176  THE    SAILOR    BOY,    OR, 

"  I  don't  care  where  they  use  'em :  they  aren't  ship- 
shape. They  may  do  for  sogers  and  marines,  and  such 
lubbers  ;  but  they  aren't  fit  for  sailors.  Howsomever, 
there  won't  be  much  left  of  her  in  half  an  hour  from 
now." 

"Why  not,  Mr.  Grummet?"  asked  Jack. 

"Avast  there  !  Don't  you  go  for  to  mistering  me.  I 
aren't  a  dandy  nor  an  officer,"  said  Grummet  fretfully. 

"  I  meant  no  harm." 

"  I  know  you  didn't,  my  lad  ;  and,  if  you  did,  we  can't 
afford  to  quarrel.  Some  of  us  will  wake  up  in  eternity 
in  less  nor  an  hour  from  now ;  and  this  crazy  old  craft 
will  go  to  the  bottom  !  " 

"  What  makes  you  think  so?  " 

"  Think  so  ?  I  knows  it.  Do  you  see  that  'ere  battery 
over  there  ?  " 

"  I've  seen  it  before  to-day." 

"  Do  you  expect  this  piece  of  shingle- work  to  stand  up 
afore  them  guns  ?  " 

"  I  don't  know ;  but  I  think  Mr.  Granger  wouldn't 
take  us  in  where  there  isn't  a  fair  chance  for  us." 

"  The  leftenant's  a  brave  man  ;  but  he's  hot-headed. 
Now;  you  mark  my  words,  not  one  in  five  of  us  will  ever 
get  back  to  the  ship  ;  and  the  cap'n  of  the  Harrisburg 
never'll  set  eyes  on  this  ugly  hulk  of  a  steamboat." 

"  You  forget  that  you  told  us  once  before  to-day,  we 
should  come  to  a  bad  end." 


JACK    SOMERS    IN    THE    NAVY.  Ill 

"  Didn't  I  tell  you  the  truth?  There's  Graves  a-layin* 
there  :  his  pipe's  out." 

"  But  he's  the  only  man  killed." 

"Avast  growling,  Grummet!"  said  Tom,  joining  his 
crew  at  the  gun.  "  The  worse  you  makes  it,  Old  Blow- 
er, the  better  it'll  be  for  us.  When  you  says  any  thing's 
goin'  wrong,  it  always  goes  right." 

"  How's  your  hand,  Tom?"  asked  Jack. 

"  Good  as  new :  the  doctor  patched  it  up,  and  it's  all 
right  now." 

"  I'm  glad  to  hear  it  How  are  our  poor  fellows  in 
the  cabin?" 

"All  doing  well  but  Jones  ,  and  the  doctor  says  he'll 
die,  in  spite  of  all  he  can  do,  poor  fellow." 

"  Didn't  I  tell  you  so?"  exclaimed  Grummet. 

"  No,  you  didn't,  —  you  old  bruiser!  You  aren't  a 
goin'  for  to  frighten  the  boy  with  your  ghost-yarns.  I 
tell  you  "  — 

At  that  moment,  a  twenty-four-pound  shot  from  the 
battery,  which  the  steamer  was  rapidly  approaching, 
dropped  into  the  water  on  one  side  of  her,  and  interrupted 
the  conversation.  All  the  steam  that  the  Wizard's  boil- 
ers would  bear  was  now  crowded  upon  her ;  and,  when 
she  had  advanced  a  quarter  of  a  mile  farther,  the  order 
was  given  for  the  battery  on  the  forward-deck  to  open 
upon  the  fort,  which  was  an  earthwork,  mounting  four 
guns. 

12 


178  THE    SAILOR    BOY;    OB, 

The  firing  was  vigorously  kept  up  on  both  sides.  Two 
of  the  shots  from  the  shore-battery  struck  the  steamer, 
but  without  inflicting  any  serious  injury.  As  each  party 
had  an  equal  number  of  guns,  it  was  a  fair  thing ;  but 
the  gunners  in  the  fort  were  evidently  not  accustomed  to 
their  work,  while  the  old  man-of-war's  men  on  the  deck 
of  the  Wizard  were  perfectly  at  home  at  this  business. 

As  the  steamer  approached  nearer  to  the  land,  the  fire 
from  the  fort  was  sensibly  diminished  ;  and  Mr.  Granger 
was  confident  that  two  of  its  guns  had  been  disabled. 
The  Wizard's  course  had  been  made  by  various  angles, 
so  as  to  disturb  as  much  as  possible  the  calculations  of 
the  gunners,  and  to  prevent  any  chance  shot  from  raking 
her.  The  two  balls  that  had  struck  her,  therefore,  passed 
across  her,  instead  of  through  her  from  end  to  end.  Both 
went  under  the  cabin,  abaft  the  paddle-boxes ;  one-  of 
them  crushing  through  the  pine-wood  partitions,  and  the 
other  knocking  off  one  of  the  quarter-pieces  at  the  stern. 

While  the  men  were  still  busy  at  the  guns,  Mr.  Gran- 
ger came  down  from  the  wheel-house. 

"  Give  it  to  them,  my  men  !  "  said  he  with  a  smile,  as 
he  observed  the  vigor  with  which  they  worked.  "  We 
must  hoist  the  stars  and  stripes  on  that  battery." 

"  Hurrah  !  "  shouted  the  gun  crews. 

"  Ready  with  the  gang-planks  ! "  added  the  command- 
er ;  and,  at  the  same  time,  the  bell  from  the  wheel-house 
stopped  the  engine,  and  the  boat  struck  the  shore. 


JACK    SOMERS    IN    THE   NAVY.  179 

"  Boarders,  away ! "  shouted  Mr.  Granger,  as  the 
steamer  touched  the  shore. 

"  Hurrah  !  "  yelled  the  seamen,  as  they  leaped  ashore, 
and  dashed  up  the  hill  to  the  spot  where  the  battery  was 
located. 

On  they  flew,  up  the  slope,  and  over  the  breastworks ; 
when,  after  a  short  and  decisive  struggle,  the  victory 
was  won.  There  were  but  few  men  in  the  fort,  — —  only 
enough  to  man  the  guns,  —  and  there  was  nothing  very 
brilliant  in  the  achievement.  Jack  Somers  hardly  found 
an  opportunity  to  strike  a  blow.  The  rebel  flag  was 
pulled  down,  and  the  stars  and  stripes  were  run  up  in  its 
place. 

"  Not  so  bad  as  it  might  be,  —  is  it?"  said  Jack,  with 
a  smile,  to  Grummet. 

"  You  haven't  seen  the  end  of  it  yet,"  persisted  the 
grumbler. 

"  We've  seen  the  end  of  this  battery,  at  any  rate." 

It  Avas  quite  true  that  they  had  not  yet  seen  the  end 
of  the  expedition  ;  for,  after  a  working-party  had  been 
detailed  to  transport  the  guns  to  the  steamer,  Mr.  Gran- 
ger ordered  the  first  cutter  to  be  manned,  and  imme- 
diately started  up  the  bay  in  her.  After  pulling  a  short 
distance,  they  discovered  the  town  which  was  known  to 
be  there  ;  and,  at  a  convenient  place,  the  commander 
landed.  Taking  twenty  men  with  him,  he  proceeded  to 
examine  the  locality.  On  the  road,  which  they  soo» 


180  THE    SAILOR    BOY;    OR, 

/cached,  they  captured  two  men,  whom  Mr.  Granger 
questioned,  and  from  whom,  in  spite  of  themselves,  he 
obtained  some  valuable  information. 

Crossing  the  neck  of  land,  they  came  to  the  water  on 
the  other  side  ;  and  here  Mr.  Granger  discovered  that  of 
which  he  had  evidently  been  in  search.  It  was  a  nonde- 
script craft,  which  the  rebels  were  converting  into  a  ram  ; 
probably  for  the  purpose  of  making  a  raid  among  the 
men-of-war  at  Ship  Island.  At  the  approach  of  the 
party,  the  mechanics  who  were  at  work  vipon  her  fled,  as 
though  the  whole  Federal  army  was  sweeping  down  upon 
them.  Mr.  Granger  gave  directions  for  setting  fire  to 
the  ram^;  and  the  seamen  piled  up  heaps  of  chips  and 
shavings  in  various  parts  of  her,  and  applied  the  match. 

The  party  remained  long  enough  to  insure  the  destruc- 
tion of  the  clumsy  contrivance  ;  and  then  hastened  back 
to  the  boat,  which' was  about  two  miles  distant. 

When  they  reached  the  road  which  they  had  before 
crossed,  a  new  and  startling  state  of  things  menaced 
them.  Rushing  down  the  road,  on  the  double-quick,  was 
a  company  of  infantry.  They  had  just  come  in  sight 
from  behind  a  hotel  used  in  summer  for  pleasure-seekers 
from  New  Orleans  :  and  it  was  impossible  to  elude  their 
observation ;  for  the  country  was  flat  and  open,  and  af- 
forded no  place  for  defence  or  concealment. 

Jack  could  not  help  glancing  at  Mr.  Granger  to  ob- 
serve the  effect  of  this  discovery  upon  him  ;  but  he  looked 
calm  and  unmoved,  as  he  had  all  the  morning. 


JACK    SOMERS    IN    THE   NAVY.  181 

*'  It's  lucky  old  Grummet  isn't  here,"  said  Tom. 

"  He  told  me  we  hadn't  seen  the  end  of  it  yet,"  replied 
Jack.  "  What  are  AVC  going  to  do  ?  " 

"  Dunno,  my  darling." 

"  Shall  we  fight,  or  surrender?" 

"  Jest  look  at  the  leftenant  afore  you  say  surrender." 

"  They  are  three  to  our  one." 

"  No  matter,  my  boy,  if  they  were  ten  to  our  one. 
Never  say  die  !  " 

Jack  couldn't  exactly  see  how  they  were  to  proceed, 
with  a  company  of  fifty  or  sixty  men  in  the  very  act  of 
charging  upon  them  ;  but  he  had  unlimited  confidence  in 
his  commander,  and  he  was  resolved  to  take  things  as 
they  came. 

"  Halt !  "  shouted  the  captain  of  the  rebel  company. 

Mr.  Granger  declined  to  obey,  and  ordered  the  men  to 
move  on  towards  the  boat.  The  muskets  of  the  soldiers 
were  raised  to  their  shoulders. 

"  Fall  flat  on  the  ground  !  "  said  the  commander  sud- 
denly. 

"  Fire  ! "  shouted  the  rebel  officer  at  the  moment,  when 
all  the  seamen  dropped  as  though  they  had  been  shot. 

The  bullets  whistled  over  their  heads  ;  but  not  a  man 
was  injured.  They  jumped,  and  ran  again  with  all  their 
might  towards  the  place  where  they  had  landed,  closely 
pursued  by  the  rebels. 

Old  Tom  Longstone  and  some  others  of  the  party  were 


182  THE    SAILOR    BOY;     OR, 

more  accustomed  to  fighting  than  they  were  to  running  , 
and  the  consequence  was,  that  the  rebels  gained  rapidly 
upon  them.  But,  in  the  midst  of  the  race,  Jack  Som- 
ers,  agile  and  fleet  as  he  was,  happened  to  he  tripped 
by  one  of  his  companions,  who  was  looking  over  his 
shoulder  to  see  the  pursuers.  Before  he  could  pick  him- 
self up,  his  party  had  left  him,  and  the  rebels  were  upon 
him. 


JACK    SOMERS    IN    THE    NAVY.  183 


CHAPTER    XVII. 

RETURN    OF    THE    EXPEDITION. 

RECISELY  what  Jack's  feelings  were  when  he 
saw  his  friends  pass  on  without  him,  and  the 
rebels  drawing  near,  it  would  be  difficult  to  say. 
They  were  not  pleasant ;  and  it  may  have  oc- 
curred to  him  that  all  the  dismal  forebodings  of  old 
Grummet  were  to  be  realized. 

"  Stand  by  that  man  ! "  said  the  rebel  captain  as  he 
passed  him. 

The  soldier  to  whom  this  order  was  given,  was,  no 
doubt,  very  glad  to  obey  it ;  for  Jack  looked  like  a  puny 
opponent,  and  there  was  a  prospect  of  a  sharp  fight  with 
the  blue-jackets  when  they  reached  their  boat.  But  the 
soldier  made  a  slight  mistake  ;  for  Jack  had  no  intention 
of  being  made  a  prisoner  by  any  single  rebel  in  the  Con- 
federacy. He  had  a  cutlass  and  a  pistol ;  and  he  knew 
tli  at  his  enemy's  gun  was  not  loaded. 

Jack  jumped  up,  and  confronted  the  soldier  as  soon  as 
he  reached  the  spot ;  the  main  body  still  pursuing  the 
sailors.  He  was  a  tall,  stout  fellow,  and  looked  as  ugly 
as  a  human  being  could  look. 


184  THE    SAILOR    BOY;    OR, 

"  Drop  that  cutlass ! "  said  the  rebel  soldier  as  he 
placed  himself  in  the  attitude  of  "  charge  bayonets." 

"  Drop  that  gun  !  "  replied  Jack,  elevating  his  large 
naval  .revolver. 

"That's  your  game,  is  it,  Yank?"  added  the  rebel, 
retreating  a  few  paces,  evidently  not  pleased  with  the 
situation. 

"  That's  my  game,  reb.  I  say,  drop  that  gun,  or 
there'll  be  a  dead  ;man  round  here  somewhere." 

"  That's  rather  sharp,  Yank  !  "  replied  the  crest-falleu 
soldier,  too  proud  to  obey  the  order. 

"  I  see  you're  not  going  to  do  what  I  told  you  :  so  we 
may  as  well  finish  this  business  before  it  gets  any  later, 
especially  as  I've  got  some  tall  running  to  do." 

The  soldier  threw  down  the  gun,  and  Jack  picked  it 
up.  As  he  did  so,  he  heard  the  report  of  fire-arms  iu 
the  direction  of  the  boat,  and  saw  that  the  sailors,  being 
hard  pressed  by  their  pursuers,  had  turned  upon  them. 

"  Take  off  that  cartridge-box  and  the  rest  of  your 
traps  ! "  continued  Jack. 

The  man  obeyed ;  and  Jack  proceeded  to  load  the 
musket,  the  rebel  watching  the  operation  in  surly  si- 
lence. 

"  Now,  reb,"  said  he,  when  he  had  returned  the  ram- 
rod and  capped  the  piece,  "  I  want  to  see  you  run. 
Make  tracks  towards  that  hotel.  If  you  turn  to  the 
right  or  the  left,  or  look  behind  you,  I  shall  just  put 


JACK    SOMERS    IN    THE    2fAl'Y.  185 

this  bullet  through  you.  Now,  double-quick,  forward, 
march  ! " 

The  rebel  could  not  do  otherwise  than  obey ;  and,  to 
do  him  full  justice,  he  did  obey  the  orders  of  his  captor 
to  the  letter.  As  soon  as  a  reasonable  distance  lay  be- 
tween him  and  the  soldier,  Jack  turned  his  attention  to 
the  exciting  events  which  were  transpiring  in  the  vicinity 
of  the  first  cutter. 

The  party  had  driven  back  the  soldiers  by  an  impetu- 
ous charge  upon  them  with  cutlass  and  revolver,  and 
the  rebels  had  taken  time  to  reload  their  muskets.  They 
were  now  in  line,  firing  upon  the  boat-party.  Jack's 
chance  of  escape  was  not  yet  first-rate  ;  for  the  rebels 
were  between  him  and  his  friends.  He  could  not  move 
in  that  direction,  and  it  was  not  prudent  to  remain  where 
he  was.  The  only  line  of  retreat  open  to  him  was  the 
road  to  the  point  on  which  the  captured  redoubt  was 
situated. 

With  the  musket  on  his  shoulder,  and  the  cutlass  and 
pistol  in  his  belt,  lie  moved  off  in  this  direction,-  and 
soon  reached  the  road!  "While  he  was  retreating  with 
due  diligence,  he  heard  the  report  of  the  first  cutter's 
howitzer,  which  assured  him  that  his  party  had  reached 
the  boat.  He  was  exceedingly  gratified  at  this  result; 
though  it  might  provoke  the  soldiers  to  pursue  him, 
Avheu  they  were  released  from  duty.  To  prevent  any 
such  catastrophe  as  being  recaptured,  he  quickened  his 


186  THE    SAILOR    BOY;    OR, 

pace  to  a  run,  which  soon  brought  him  in  sight  of  the 
fort. 

Out  of  breath,  and  very  much  fatigued,  he  reached  the 
battery,  and  reported  himself  to  Mr.  McBride.  He  told 
his  story  in  full  to  the  lieutenant,  who,  fearing  that  the 
first  cutter's  people  might  still  be  hard  pressed  by  the 
rebels,  immediately  ordered  the  third  cutter  to  pull  up 
the  bay  to  their  assistance.  Jack  was  sent  in  her  as 
pilot,  and  to  report  himself  to  Mr.  Granger.  With  the 
musket  in  his  hand  to  verify  his  report,  he  stepped  into 
the  boat. 

The  third  cutter  reached  the  place  where  the  party  had 
landed.  Mr.  Granger's  boat  was  there  in  charge  of  four 
men.  The  cockswain  reported  that  the  soldiers  had  been 
beaten  off,  and  that  the  rest  of  the  crew  had  gone  upon 
shore  again  ;  where,  or  for  what,  he  could  not  answer. 
Mr.  Light,  the  master's  mate,  with  most  of  his  men, 
landed  at  once,  and  hastened  towards  the  road  to  find 
them.  They  had  proceeded  but  a  short  distance  before 
they  met  the  party  returning  to  the  boat. 

"Why  are  you  here,  Mr.  Light?"  demanded  Mr. 
Granger. 

"  We  heard  you  were  in  trouble  ;  and  Mr.  McBride 
sent  me  up  to^render  assistance,  if  any  were  needed." 

"  We  are  all  right  now,  though  we  have  had  two  men 
killed,  three  wounded,  and  one  captured.  Young  Somers 
was  taken  prisoner." 


JACK    SOMERS    IN    THE    NAVY.  187 

"  I  beg  parcton,  your  honor,"  said  Jack,  stepping  for- 
ward and  touching  his  hat :  "  that's  a  mistake  !" 

"  Somers  !  "  exclaimed  Mr.  Granger. 

"  My  darling  !  "  exclaimed  Tom  Longstone,  springing 
forward,  and  throwing  his  arms  around  him. 

"  Hurrah  !  "  shouted  the  men,  with  whom  Jack  was  a 
great  favorite. 

"How's  this,  Somers?"  asked  Mr.  Granger,  whose 
pleasant  smile  indicated  the  satisfaction  which  Jack's  re- 
appearance afforded  him.  "  I  thought  you  were  taken 
by  the  rebels." 

"  No,  sir :  I  wasn't  taken.  I  took  the  rebel  who  was 
sent  to  capture  me." 

"How  was  that?" 

"  He  ordered  me  to  drop  my  cutlass ;  and  I  ordered 
him  to  drop  his  musket.  As  I  had  a  loaded  pistol  in  my 
hand,  he  had  the  worst  of  it.  I  picked  up  the  gun,  and 
Ipaded  it.  Then  I  told  him  to  run  up  to  the  hotel  yonder, 
or  I  would  shoot  him.  He  did  so  ;  and  that's  the  last  I 
saw  of  him.  Here  is  the  musket,  sir." 

"  Why  didn't  you  come  down  to  the  boat  then?" 

"  Because  the  rebels  were  between  you  and  me,  sir. 
I  was  afraid  I  couldn't  whip  the  whole  of  them :  so  I 
ran  down  to  the  fort." 

"  Bravo,  Somers ! "  said  Mr.  Granger,  laughing  at 
the  manner  the  story  was  told,  no  less  than  at  the  story 
itself. 


188  THE    SAILOR    BOY;     OR, 

The  commander  of  the  expedition  then  ordered  the 
dead  and  the  wounded  men  to  be  conveyed  to  the  first 
cutter  ;  and  the  boats  returned  to  the  steamer.  The  men 
were  sad  for  the  loss  of  their  companions,  and  little  was 
said  on  the  passage.  On  their  arrival  at  the  point,  all 
the  brave  fellows  who  had  fallen  during  the  day  were 
reverently  committed  to  the  earth,  prayers  being  said  by 
Mr.  Granger ;  while  all  who  could  be  spared  stood 
uncovered  around  the  grave. 

The  work  for  the  day  was  finished.  The  ram  had 
been  destroyed,  an  armed  steamer  captured,  and  some 
valuable  information  had  been  obtained  by  Mr.  Granger. 
The  result  was  entirely  satisfactory  to  all,  except  old 
Grummet ;  and  the  expedition  started  on  its  return  to 
the  ship.  The  boats  were  all  towed  astern  of  the  steam- 
er, and  the  men  had  nothing  to  do  but  to  talk  over  the 
events  of  the  day. 

It  was  three  bells  in  the  dog-watches,  when  the  people 
on  the  deck  of  the  Harrisburg  discovered  a  steamer,  with 
the  stars  and  stripes  over  the  stars  and  bars  at  her  stern, 
approaching  them.  The  arrival  caused  some  excitement 
on  board ;  and  three  stunning  cheers  welcomed  the  vic- 
tors back  to  the  ship.  Captain  Mainwright  took  Mr. 
Granger  by  the  hand,  and  congratulated  him  upon  the 
success  of  the  expedition.  That  night  there  was  such  a 
spinning  of  yarns  on  board  the  Harrisburg  as  had  never 
been  known  before.  Every  man  who  had  been  with  the 


JACK   SOMERS    IN    THE   NAVY.  189 

expedition  was  a  hero  ;  but  Jack  Somers  was  regarded 
as  something  better  than  a  hero.  He  was  commended 
by  the  officers,  and  lauded  by  the  crew  ;  and,  if  he  had 
not  been  a  very  sensible  young  man,  his  head  would  have 
been  turned  by  the  lavish  praise  which  was  bestowed 
upon  him. 

Jack  had  a  strong  friend  in  the  wardroom,  —  one  who 
could  command  the  ear  of  the  captain  ;  and,  if  our  hero 
could  have  heard  what  was  said  about  him  by  these  dis- 
tinguished persons  in  the  cabin,  he  might  well  have  been 
dazzled  by  the  prospects  in  store  for  him.  They  were 
discussing  a  plan  for  his  future  advancement ;  which,  in 
due  time,  will  be  revealed  to  our  readers. 

Our  sailor-boy  bore  his  honors  with  tolerable  self-pos- 
session. His  fame  had  extended  beyond  his  own  ship, 
and  his  position  as  cockswain  of  the  captain's  gig  fre- 
quently brought  him  to  the  notice  of  the  naval  and  mil- 
itary officers  on  the  station.  His  modesty,  however, 
prevented  him  from  making  a  fool  of  himself;  and, 
wherever  he  went,  he  was  a  .universal  favorite. 

My  readers  must  not  suppose  that  there  was  no  one 
else  at  Ship  Island  but  Jack  Somers,  because  he  happens 
to  be  the  central  figure  of  our  picture  ;  or  that  the  rest 
of  the  people  there  had  nothing  to  do  but  to  praise  him. 
There  was,  at  this  time,  a  mighty  expedition  gathering 
there,  which  was  destined  to  achieve  one  of  the  grandest 
and  most  brilliant  operations  recorded  in  the  aimals  of 


190  THE    SAILOR    BOY;    OR, 

war.  Jack  was  only  a  very  humble  individual  in  the 
vast  throng ;  and  we  doubt  whether  General  Butler  or 
Flag-officer  Farragut  ever  heard  that  there  Avas  such  a 
person. 

It  was  fortunate  for  Jack  that  he  did  not  consider  him- 
self the  greatest  man  in  the  fleet ;  as  any  self-sufficiency 
of  that  kind  would  have  placed  him  in  a  very  unpleasant 
position.  He  was  still  content  to  touch  his  cap  to  Mr. 
Midshipman  Dickey,  and  to  discharge  all  his  duties  ou 
board  with  promptness  and  fidelity.  In  his  letters  to  his 
mother,  he  related  his  adventures  with  the  expedition : 
but  Mr.  Bankhead,  in  writing  to  his  friends,  gave  a  more 
glowing  account  of  the  affair ;  which,  in  due  time,  was 
conveyed  to  Pinchbrook. 

"All  hands  up  anchor,  ahoy!"  piped  the  boatswain, 
one  morning,  about  a  week  after  the  boat-expedition. 

Jack  sprang  to  his  place  at  the  capstan,  buoyant  with 
hope  that  the  day  of  action  had  again  arrived.  Every 
man  at  Ship  Island  knew  that  some^  stupendous  enter- 
prise was  about  to  be  undertaken ;  though  none  but  a 
few  of  the  higher  officers  of  the  army  and  navy  knew 
what  it  was. 

"  Where  do  you  suppose  we  are  going  now,  Tom?" 
asked  Jack  when  the  ship  was  fairly  under  way. 

"  Don't  know,  my  bantling  ;  but  you  may  be  sure,  if 
there's  any  big  thing  to  be  done,  this  ship  will  be  there," 
replied  Tom.  "  We're  headed  to  the  south 'ard." 


JACK    SOMERS    IN    THE    NAVY.  191 

"  Perhaps  we  are  going  down  to  the  Mississippi." 

"  Maybe  we  be,  Jack." 

That  evening,  the  Harrisburg  arrived  at  Pass  a  1'Ou- 
tre  ;  and,  on  the  two  following  days,  she  made  several 
attempts  to  cross  the  bar,  and  enter  the  Mississippi,  but 
without  success.  She  then  went  round  to  the  South' 
west  Pass  ;  where  she  crossed  the  bar,  and  proceeded  up 
the  river  to  Pilot  Town. 

At  this  place,  Jack  learned  that  the  seamen  in  th& 
navy  have  something  to  do  besides  drawing  their  pay 
and  eating  their  "grub."  The  topmasts  were  sent  down, 
and  the  ship  stripped  for  action.  Every  thing  not  re- 
quired for  immediate  service  was  sent  on  shore,  and  a 
guard  of  marines  stationed  there  to  protect  the  property. 
It  was  a  hard  day's  work ;  and  Jack's  hammock  never 
felt  so  good  as  it  did  that  night  when  he  was  permitted 
to  "  turn  in." 

The  guns  were  all  shotted,  in  readiness  for  an  attack ; 
for  the  rebels  had  a  fleet  of  rams  and  iron-clads  up  the 
river,  with  which  they  had  already  made  one  demonstra- 
tion against  the  blockading-fleet.  After  these  prepara- 
tions were  completed,  the  Harrisburg  steamed  up  to  the 
head  of  the  Passes.  But  here  she  again  mocked  the 
eager  expectations  of  the  seamen  ;  for  no  forward  move- 
ment was  made  for  a  month. 

There  was  occasionally  an  incident  to  vary  the  monot- 
ony of  the  scene.  The  arrival  of  the  mortar-fleet,  the 


'192  THE    SAILOR    BOY;    On, 

discovery  and  destruction  of  a  telegraph-wire  extending 
across  the  river,  afforded  brief  periods  of  excitement : 
but  all  were  anxious  to  pour  a  few  broadsides  into  Forts 
Jackson  and  St.  Philip  ;  for  there  was  no  longer  any 
doubt  that  the  reduction  of  these  fortifications  was  the 
object  of  the  expedition. 

On  the  16th  of  April,  another  fever  of  expectation 
was  produced  by  the  ship  getting  under  way  again,  and 
going  up  to  the  head  of  the  fleet,  consisting  of  fifty-one 
men-of-war  ;  where  she  anchored,  much  to  the  disappoint- 
ment of  the  gallant  tars.  But  the  next  week  realized  all 
their  anticipations,  and  immortalized  every  man  of  them. 


JACK    SOMERS    IN    THE    NAVT.  193 


CHAPTER    XVIII. 

FORTS   JACKSON   AND    ST.    PHILIP. 

/4,  NDOUBTEDLY  tKe  hero  of  onr  story  was  a 
--1  brave,  smart,  and  patriotic  young  man  ;  a  good 
y%/  seaman,  and  fully  devoted  to  his  duty :  but  we 
do  not  wish  any  of  our  enthusiastic  readers  to 
suppose  he  captured  Fort  Jackson  and  Fort  St.  Philip 
alone,  or  even  that  he  did  any  more  than  his  fair  share 
of  the  work.  The  river  was  full  of  ships,  brigs,  schoon- 
ers, gunboats,  and  mortar-vessels.  There  were  thousands 
of  men,  and  hundreds  of  guns  ;  and  the  history  of  those 
tremendous  events  would  require  a  whole  volume  :  so 
that  we  can  only  describe  the  part  which  our  sailor-boy 
acted  in  the  memorable  scenes  of  that  glorious  occasion. 

For  nearly  a  week,  the  mortar-fleet  shook  the  very 
earth  with  the  roar  of  their  ordnance  ;  and  the  ponder- 
ous shells  screamed  through  the  atmosphere  like  "  fiends 
in  upper  air."  But  no  sensible  impression  seemed  to  be 
produced  upon  the  forts.  They  still  held  out ;  and  the 
intrepid  flag-officer  in  command  of  the  squadron  pre- 
pured  for  more  decided  measures.  The  ships  had  been 

13 


194  THE    SAILOR    EOT;    OR, 

made  ready  for  the  severe  work  before  them  ;  and  every 
.heart  in  the  fleet  burned  to  meet  the  foe  at  closer  quar- 
ters. 

On  the  afternoon  before  the  great  battle,  the  flag-officer 
visited  every  ship  in  the  squadron  :  and  Jack  Somers 
came  to  the  conclusion  that  this  act  meant  something ; 
which  was  the  unanimous  opinion  of  all  his  top-mates. 
Every  man  on  board  the  Harrisburg  was  in  earnest,  and 
longing  for  the  decisive  moment ;  but  though  there  was 
a  great  deal  of  moving  about  in  the  fleet,  a  great  many 
boats  passing  and  repassing  during  the  rest  of  the  day, 
the  men  were  piped  to  supper  as  usual,  and  the  starboard- 
watch  turned  in  at  the  proper  time. 

At  three  bells  in  the  morning,  all  hands  were  called ; 
and,  shortly  afterwards,  the  signal  to  get  under  way  was 
made  on  board  the  flag-ship  :  but  it  was  half-past  three 
before  the  fleet  was  under  way,  owing  to  the  difficulty 
which  some  of  the  ships  experienced  in  "  purchasing " 
their  anchors.  The  drum  beat  to  quarters  ;  and  the 
ships,  in  two  lines;  moved  up  the  river.  The  chain, 
which  the  rebels  had  extended  across  the  river,  support- 
ing it  upon  hulks  of  vessels,  had  been  partially  removed, 
and  the  two  lines  of  ships  passed  through.  The  "  column 
of  the  Red"  was  commanded  by  Captain  Bailey  ;  and  the 
"  column  of  the  Blue,"  by  Farragut  himself,  —  the  former 
occupying  the  right,  and  the  latter  the  left. 

It  was  night ;    but  the  scene  was  illuminated  by  the 


JACK    SOMERS    IN    THE    NAVY.  195 

immense  fires  which  the  enemy  had  kindled  on  shore  to 
assist  the  aim  of  the  gunners  in  the  forts,  and  by  the 
fire-ships  which  were  hurled  down  by  the  rebel  squad- 
ron with  the  intention  of  destroying  the  Federal  fleet  by 
conflagration.  The  boat-brigade,  which  had  been  organ* 
ized  by  Commodore  Porter,  fought  these  fire-fiends  both 
obstinately  and  successfully,  arid  not  a  ship  was  destroyed 
by  them. 

Before  the  Harrisburg  reached  the  hulks,  the  forts 
opened  fire  upon  the  fleet.  Shot  and  shell  rained  down 
upon  the  devoted  vessels.  The  grandest  and  most  terri- 
ble scene  which  the  eye  of  man  ever  looked  upon  suc- 
ceeded. The  river  seemed  to  be  a  molten  sea  of  fire ; 
while  the  roar  of  the  cannon,  the  hissing  of  shot,  and 
the  screaming  qf  shell,  were  enough  to  appall  the  stoutest 
heart. 

When  the  order  was  given,  the  Harrisburg  poured  her 
broadside  into  Fort  Jackson,  which  lay  on  the  port  hand. 
The  ship  was  shaken  down  to  her  keel  by  the  tremendous 
explosion,  and  Jack  felt  sure  that  the  rebel  works  were 
blown  to  pieces  ;  for  it  seemed  to  him  that  nothing  which 
human  hands  had  made  could  stand  before  such  a  tor- 
nado of  iron  hail.  He  attempted  to  look  through  the 
port,  to  observe  the  destruction  which  the  broadside  had 
caused  ;  but  the  ship  was  enveloped  in  such  a  dense  vol- 
ume of  smoke,  that  nothing  could  be  seen.  The  sulphur- 
ous cloud  rolled  in  at  the  port,  and  blinded  him  so  that 


196  THE    SAILOR    BOY:    OR, 

he  could  not  even  discern  the  man  on  the  opposite  side 
of  the  gun. 

There  was  no  time  to  look  around  him  ;  for  the  gun- 
crew sprang  to  their  duty  with  an  energy  which  showed 
their  zeal  in  the  work  before  them.  Almost  in  the 
twinkling  of  an  eye,  the  ponderous  piece  was  ready  for  a 
second  discharge,  and  another  broadside  was  poured  into 
the  fort.  Again  Jack  tried  to  obtain  a  view  of  the  forti- 
fication. His  position  as  first-loader  and  second-boarder 
at  the  muzzle  of  the  gun,  when  it  was  drawn  in.  placed 
him  near  the  port,  where  he  had  an  opportunity  to  see 
when  there  was  any  thing  to  be  seen. 

"  Somers,  ahoy  !  "  shouted  the  first-captain  of  the  gun. 
"  Stand  by,  and  take  the  cartridge  ! 

"  Ay,  ay !  "  replied  Jack  as  he  sprang  to  his  duty. 

"What  are  you  star-gazing  out  the  port  for?  Keep 
both  eyes  peeled  !  " 

Jack  was  reminded  by  these  remarks  that  it  was  his 
duty  to  assist  in  knocking  down  the  fort,  and  not  to  take 
notes  for  the  future  historian.  But  the  scene  was  differ- 
ent from  what  he  had  anticipated  ;  and  it  seemed  hard  to 
stand  at  the  guns  without  the  privilege  of  beholding  the 
mischief  they  were  doing.  It  was  nothing  but  smoke, 
however,  in  every  direction ;  and  he  might  as  well  have 
been  in  the  gloom  of  the  forehold,  so  far  as  seeing  any 
thing  was  concerned.  He  was  nearly  stunned  by  the 
awfid  roar  of  the  broadside ;  and,  when  the  captain  of 


JACK    SOMERS    IN    THE    NAVY.  197 

gun  No.  9  shouted  to  him  at  the  top  of  his  lungs,  his 
voice  sounded  like  that  of  a  pygmy  in  the  distance.  The 
words  which  he  spoke  himself  did  not  seem  to  come  from 
his  own  mouth. 

In  spite  of  the  rebuke  he  had  received,  Jack  Sorners 
was  thoroughly  alive  to  his  duty ;  and  he  worked  with 
so  much  zeal,  that  he  soon  wiped  out  any  imputation 
which  his  momentary  neglect  had  produced. 

At  such  a  time  as  this,  the  splendid  and  punctilious 
discipline  of  the  navy  is  exhibited  to  the  best  advantage. 
What  to  the  casual  observer,  in  the  still  waters  of  a 
peaceful  harbor,  may  seem  terribly  formal  and  ridicu- 
lously precise,  is  the  foundation  of  success  in  the  ordeal 
of  a  mighty  naval  conflict.  Every  man  knows  his  place, 
and  has  a  definite  duty  assigned  to  him  in  case  of  any 
emergency  that  can  happen.  Every  one  of  the  gallant 
tars  at  gun  No.  9  had  a  double,  and  some  a  triple,  duty 
assigned  to  him.  Every  manoeuvre  of  the  piece  was 
performed  in  order,  with  the  utmost  promptness  and  pre- 
cision. 

At  quarters,  the  men  are  stationed  on  each  side  of  the 
gun  ;  and  the  same  crew  handle  the  gun  on  the  opposite 
side  of  the  ship,  —  a  division  consisting  of  three  guns  on 
the  starboard,  and  three  on  the  port-side.  As  the  Har- 
risburg  went  up  the  river  on  this  momentous  occa'sion, 
her  port-battery  first  engaged  Fort  Jackson ;  but  when 
she  reached  Fort  St.  Philip,  on  the  other  side  of  the 


198  THE    SAILOR    BOY;    0-R, 

river,  her  starboard-battery  delivered  the  terrible  broad- 
side. The  second-captaiu  of  gun  No.  9,  with  his  crew, 
went  over  to  the  other  side,  and  manned  the  other  gun 
No.  9. 

Jack  Somers,  as  we  have  before  stated,  wa.s  first-loader 
and  second-boarder.  The  man  opposite  to  him  was  first- 
boarder  and  second-loader.  The  next  was  a  shot-and- 
wad-man,  who  was  also  a  pumpman  and  pikeman.  The 
third  was  a  sponger,  who  was  also  a  boarder.  The 
fourth  was  a  crow-and-handspike-man,  who  Avas  also  a 
h'remau  and  sail-trimmer.  The  fifth  was  a  train-tackle- 
man,  and  also  a  boarder.  The  sixth  was  a  captain  of 
the  gun.  The  men  on  the  opposite  side  had  correspond- 
ing duties  ;  and  each  is  designated  by  his  proper  ordinal, 
as  first-boarder,  second-boarder,  &c. 

The  gun  is  secured  by  three  classes  of  ropes.  The 
breeching  is  the  heavy  piece  of  cabJe  passing  through  an 
eye  at  the  breech  of  the  gun,  with  each  end  fastened  to  the 
side  of  the  ship,  which  prevents  the  recoil  from  throwing 
the  piece  out  of  position.  The  train-tackle  is  a  rope 
with  double  blocks,  attached  at  one  end  to  the  carriage, 
and  at  the  other  to  a  ring  in  the  deck,  by  which  the  gun 
is  hauled  back  from  the  port,  or  secured  for  loading. 
The  side-tackles  are  the  purchases  attached  to  the  side 
of  the  carriage,  by  which  the  gun  is  drawn  up  to  the 
port. 

Modern  gun-carriages  have  but  two  wheels,  the  after- 


JACK    SOMERS    IN    THE    NAVY.  199 

most  part  resting  on  the  deck.  A  handspike  with  roll- 
ers on  the  end,  called  a  rolling  handspike,  by  which  the 
carriage  is  pried  up  and  made  to  bear  upon  the  rollers, 
is  now  used  when  the  gun  is  to  be  run  out  at  the  port. 
The  cartridges  are  brought  up  from  below,  one  at  a  time, 
in  a  leathern  bucket  having  a  cover,  which  removes  the 
liability  to  accident.  Shot-stands  are  placed  near  the 
breech  of  the  gun,  to  hold  the  balls,  —  five  in  each, — 
which  are  replenished  as  occasion  requires. 

The  perfect  discipline  which  prevailed  on  board  the 
Harrisburg  inspired  every  man  with  zeal  and  courage  ; 
for  he  knew  that  he  was  one  wheel  in  the  vast  machine 
whose  action  was  essential  to  the  operation  of  the  whole. 
Every  one  supported  every  other  one,  and  was  in  turn 
supported  by  them ;  and  entire  confidence  reigned  through- 
out the  ship. 

The  Harrisburg  passed  Fort  Jackson,  and  poured  her 
broadside  into  St.  Philip.  It  was  the  same  scene  over 
again,  but  intensified  by  the  hopes  of  success,  and  by 
the  continued  tension  upon  the  nervous  systems  of  its 
actors.  But  hardly  had  the  ship  passed  the  second  fort 
before  she  got  aground  ;  and,  at  the  same  instant',  the 
vessel  seemed  to  be  wrapped  in  flames.  It  was  an  aw- 
ful moment  to  the  devoted  tars,  who  could  not  yet  com- 
prehend the  nature  or  the  extent  of  the  calamity  which 
had  overtaken  the  ship  ;  but,  to  their  honor  and  glory, 
not  one  of  them  deserted  his  station.  The  port-battery 


200  THE    SAILOR    BOY;    OR, 

still  roared,  as  it  poured  its  destructive  missiles  into  the 
enemy. 

An  immense  fire-raft  had  been  pushed  forward  by  one 
of  the  rebel  rams  ;  and  the  Harrisburg,  in  attempting  to 
avoid  it,  had  been  run  into  shoal  water,  and  grounded. 
The  ship  was  on  fire,  the  flames  leaping  up  to  her  tops ; 
and  her  destruction  seemed  to  be  inevitable.  The  fire- 
men were  called  away ;  and, '  after  exertions  almost 
superhuman,  the  fire  was  extinguished,  and  the  noble 
ship  was  then  backed  off  from  the  shoal. 

The  severest  part  of  the  day's  work  was  yet  to  come. 
What  the  officers  saw  was  soon  patent  to  all  the  crew,  — 
that  the  river  was  swarming  with  rebel  gunboats  and 
iron-clads.  The  roar  of  battle  increased  ;  and  the  shot 
and  shell  crushed  through  the  sides  of  the  Harrisburg, 
scattering  splinters  and  other  missiles  in  every  direc- 
tion. Wounded  men  were  borne  down  to  the  cockpit, 
where  Dr.  Sawsett  was  busily  discharging  the  duties  of 
his  profession ;  and  the  dead  lay  silent  and  calm  amid 
the  awful  din. 

Still  our  noble  ship  continued  to  pour  a  terrible  fire 
into  the  rebel  vessels  ;  and  still  her  men,  nerved  to  des- 
peration by  the  thunder  and  the  crash  of  battle,  worked 
like  heroes.  Now  she  butted  against  a  rebel  ram,  and 
now  she  poured  her  death-dealing  broadsides  into  the 
iron-mailed  vessels  that  assailed  her. 

Jack  Somers  was  only  a  hero  among  heroes.     Stunned 


JACK    SO  ME  US    IN    THE    NAVY.  201 

by  the  roar,  blinded  by  the  smoke,  he  maintained  his 
position  at  gun  No.  9,  without  knowing  what  was  trans- 
piring even  a  few  feet  from  him.  As  the  ship  changed 
her  place,  he  obtained  an  occasional  glance  at  a  rebel 
gunboat ;  and  he  saw  one  of  them  crushed  like  a  paper- 
box  by  the  great  guns  of  the  Pensacola. 

Still  he  exerted  himself  to  the  utmost.  When  he  saw 
a  solid  shot  crush  the  head  of  poor  Lawrence,  —  one  of 
his  topmates,  —  he  felt  dizzy  for  an  instant ;  but,  even 
from  this  shock,  he  recovered  under  the  stimulus  of  the 
awful  excitement. 

Such  a  furious  and  destructive  action  could  not  long 
continue.  The  roar  began  to  diminish  ;  for  the  guns  of 
the  rebel  fleet  had  been  silenced.  Of  the  fifteen  which 
had  appeared,  eleven  had  been  destroyed,  driven  ashore 
in  a  sinking  condition,  or  sent  to  the  bottom  of  the  great 
river. 

The  columns  of  the  Federal  squadron  moved  on. 
Three  or  four  vessels  were  missing.  The  Varuna  had 
been  sunk,  after  she  had  done  deeds  which  immortalized 
her  name  and  that  of  her  heroic  commander.  The 
smoke  cleared  away,  and  the  fleet  steamed  up  the  river. 
Silence  reigned  when  the  storm  of  battle  had  spent  itself. 
The  victory  was  complete  ;  and  cheer  on  cheer  rent  the 
air,  and  gave  a  thrill  of  inspiration  to  the  poor  fellows 
who  had  been  wounded,  as  the  grateful  sounds  readied 
their  ears. 


202  THE    SAILOR    BOY,    OR, 


CHAPTER    XIX. 

QUARTERMASTER   SOMERS. 

FTER  passing  the  forts,  the  Harrisburg  pro- 
ceeded  on  her  way  up  the  river.  On  the  fol- 
lowing  day,  after  many  difficulties  and  delays, 
the  fleet  arrived  at  English  Turn.  Some  of  the 
light  gunboats  had  been  sent  forward  to  cut  the  telegraph 
wires,  and  otherwise  prepare  the  way  for  the  more  for- 
midable squadron  which  was  to  follow.  The  intelligence 
of  the-  approach  of  the  terrible  gunboats  had  already  been 
conveyed  to  the  city  of  New  Orleans  ;  and  that  reckless 
desperation  which  had  so  often  characterized  the  move- 
ments of  the  rebels  in  times  of  extreme  peril  began  to 
manifest  itself  in  the  wholesale  destruction  of  property. 
Large  cotton-ships,  which  had  been  freighted  with  the 
precious  staple  of  the  South  to  run  the  blockade,  were 
set  on  fire,  and  came  careering  down  the  river,  convert- 
ing the  mighty  stream  into  a  moving  panorama  of  leap- 
ing flames. 

The  Mississippi  was  covered  with  burning  vessels,  and 
other  valuable  property,  which  the  fiery  sous  of  the  South 


JACK    SOMERS    IN    THE    NATY.  203 

had  made  haste  to  destroy.  The  Harrisburg  threaded 
her  perilous  path  through  these  floating  chariots  of  flame, 
till  the  roar  of  cannon  was  heard  ahead  of  her.  The 
ship  had  proceeded  but  a  short  distance  farther,  before  the 
Cayuga,  in  which  Captain  Bailey  was  leading  the  way 
up  the  river,  was  discovered  engaging  the  rebel  earth- 
works on  both  shores. 

The  Harrisburg,  being  one  of  the  fast  ships,  imme- 
diately crowded  on  all  steam  to  assist  the  spunky  little 
Cayuga  in  the  unequal  battle  into  which  she  had  ven- 
tured. The  ship  was  now  within  a  mile  of  the  bat- 
teries, which  opened  fire  upon  her,  as  well  as  upon  the 
Brooklyn  and  Peusacola.  As  she  approached  the  forts 
in  a  direct  line,  only  the  two  guns  on  her  topgallant-fore- 
castle could  be  used  ;  while  the  batteries  were  enabled  to 
meet  her  with  a  raking  fire  during  her  approach. 

The  crew  were  at  quarters  ;  and  the  broadside  guns 
had  been  loaded  with  shell,  shrapnel,  and  grape,  which 
are  used  only  at  short  ranges.  When  the  ship  had  ap- 
proached sufficiently  near,  the  order  was  given  to  keep 
her  away.  She  rounded  to,  and  her  port  battery  poured 
into  one  of  the  forts  a  broadside  which  could  not  but  be 
fearfully  destructive  among  the  gunners  in  the  fort. 

At  the  same  time,  the  starboard  battery  of  the  Pensa- 
cola  gave  the  fort  on  the  other  side  of  the  river  a  broad- 
side of  the  same  material.  The  Brooklyn  then  passed 
between  these  two  ships,  and  delivered  her  broadside  ; 


204  THE    SAILOR    BOY;    OK, 

which,  being  followed  by  others  from  the  remaining  ves- 
sels of  the  fleet,  entirely  silenced  the  guns  in  the  earth- 
works* The  action  was  short,  but  brilliant,  —  what  Ad- 
miral Farragut  has  styled  "  one  of  the  elegances  of  the 
profession."  Not  all  of  the  fleet  could  obtain  a  "pop" 
at  the  batteries,  so  quickly  were  they  silenced. 

The  Harrisburg  continued  on  her  course,  the  crew  still 
at  quarters,  in  readiness  to  make  the  daylight  shine 
through  any  rebel  works  which  should  have  the  temerity 
to  dispute  her  advance.  As  she  approached  the  city,  the 
artistic  eye  of  Mr.  BankRead,  who  was  standing  in  the 
mizzen-rigging,  giving  directions  to  the  quartermaster  at 
the  wheel,  so  as  to  avoid  the  burning  wrecks  which  were 
borne  down  by  the  current  of  the  mighty  river,  discerned 
a  beautiful  little  steamer,  which  had  been  set  on  fire,  and 
was  drifting  doAvn  with  its  fellows.  It  was  not  one  of 
those  ungainly,  top-heavy  Western  steamers,  whose  build 
had  called  forth  the  criticisms  of  old  Grummet ;  but  she 
was  evidently  a  sea-going  steamer,  whose  graceful  lines 
and  symmetrical  proportions  would  have  filled  the  eye 
of  a  professional  yachtman. 

The  executive  officer  of  the  Harrisburg  was  a  gentle- 
man of  exquisite  taste  in  nautical  affairs  ;  and  the  destruc- 
tion of  so  fine  a  craft  greatly  disturbed  his  equanimity. 
In  fact,  he  was  disposed  to  rescue  the  little  steamer  from 
the  "manifest  destiny"  which  appeared  to  have  over- 
taken her,  especially  as  the  fire  had  made  but  little  prog- 


JACK    SOMERS    IN    THE    NAVY.  205 

ress.  He  immediately  communicated  the  suggestion  to 
Captain  Mainwright,  pointing  out  the  value  which  the 
fine  craft'  might  be  in  the  future  operations  of  the  fleet. 
Mr.  Bankhead  was  satisfied  that  he  could  save  the 
steamer ;  and  the  order  was  at  once  given  for  the  attempt 
to  be  made. 

"  Strike  two  bells,  quartermaster  !  "  said  the  first-lieu- 
tenant. "  Clear  away  the  second  cutter  !  " 

"  Two  bells,  sir !"  repeated  Tom  Longstone,  who  was 
conning  the  wheel. 

"Three  bells,  quartermaster!"  continued  Mr.  Bank- 
head  :  the  first  signal  being  to  stop  her ;  the  second,  to 
back  her. 

"  Three  bells,  sir  !  " 

By  the  time  the  little  steamer  had  drifted  down  to  the 
ship,  the  second  cutter  was  in  the  water,  manned  by  her 
regular  crew.  A  dozen  more  men,  with  axes  and  buck- 
ets, were  ordered  into  the  boat.  Mr.  Bankhead,  having 
a  peculiar  interest  in  the  rescue  of  this  elegant  speci- 
men of  naval  architecture,  took  charge  of  the  expedition 
himself. 

"  Somers  !  "  said  he  as  he  sprang  upon  the  gangway. 

"Ay,  ay,  sir!"  shouted  Jack  in  reply,  as  he  sprang 
forward  to  answer  the  welcome  summons. 

"  Take  a  bucket,  and  come  into  the  boat." 

"Ay,  ay,  sir  !  "  answered  our  sailor-boy,  pleased  to  be 
remembered  when  there  was  any  difficult  duty  to  be  per- 
formed. 


206  THE    SAILOR    EOT;    OR, 

The  boat  dashed  after  the  burning  steamer  ;  and,  as 
she  was  now  only  a  few  fathoms  astern  of  the  ship,  the 
bowman  had  his  boat-hook  fast  to  her  before  the  oars- 
men had  pulled  a  dozen  strokes.  Jack,  who  had  stowed 
himself  in  the  bow  of  the  cutter,  was  the  first  to  leap 
on  board.  Rushing  into  the  engine-room,  he  seized  a 
shovel,  and  began  to  throw  overboard  the  combustibles 
which  had  been  piled  up  near  the  wood- work.  There 
were  a  dozen  pairs  of  ready  hands  to  assist  him. 

The  work  of  firing  the  steamer  had  been  done  in  haste, 
and  the  chips  and  shavings  were  damp.  The  flames  had 
therefore  hardly  been  communicated  to  the  wood-work  ; 
and,  after  a  few  moments  of  vigorous  exertion  with  the 
buckets  and  the  axes,  the  fire  was  completely  subdued. 

"  Clear  away  that  hawser  on  the  forecastle  !  "  said  Mr. 
Bankhead.  "  Pass  it  into  the  boat." 

''Ay,  ay,  sir  ! "  answered  Sam  Becket,  who  happened 
to-  be  nearest  to  him  when  the  order  was  given,  as  he 
seized  the  end  of  the  rope. 

"  Carry  it  over  to  the  port-side,"  added  the  officer. 

The  cockswain  in  charge  of  the  cutter  was  ordered  to 
pull  round  to  the  other  side  of  the  steamer.  By  this 
time,  half  a  dozen  men  had  hold  of  the  hawser,  and 
were  hauling  it  over  as  directed.  Mr.  Bankhead,  who 
was  now  making  signals  with  his  hands  for  the  ship  to 
back  down  to  the  prize,  incautiously  stepped  within  the 
bight  of  the  hawser,  a  portion  of  which  had  fallen  into 


JACK    SOMERS    IN    THE    NAVY.  207 

the  water.  He  was  standing  on  the  plank-shear  at  the 
time  ;  and,  there  being  no  railing  for  protection,  he  was 
suddenly  and  violently  tripped  up  Avhen  the  men  hauled 
the  rope  over  to  the  other  side.  By  the  operation,  his 
legs  were  pulled  out  from  under  him  ;  and,  obeying  the 
law  of  gravitation,  he  dropped  head  first  iutp  the  river. 

Unfortunately  for  Jack  Somers,  he  was  at  this  critical 
moment  engaged  in  extinguishing  the  last  remnants  of 
fire  in  the  cabin  of  the  steamer,  and  lost  this  glorious 
opportunity  of  practising  his  favorite  diversion  of  leap- 
ing overboard.  "We  doubt  not  he  would  have  done  it,  if 
he  had  witnessed  the  catastrophe  ;  but,  as  he  did  not,  an 
interesting  and  exciting  incident  for  this  chapter  was 
thereby  effectually  spoiled. 

Sam  Becket,  who  had  lost  caste  by  falling  overboard, 
was  the  nearest  man  to  Mr.  Bankhead  when  the  acci- 
dent happened ;  being  at  that  moment  engaged  in  clear- 
ing away  the  coils  of  the  hawser  in  the  middle  of  the 
deck.  As  the  reader  has  a  very  indifferent  opinion  of 
Becket's  Christian  impulses,  it  is  not  to  be  supposed  that 
he  was  moved  by  any  lofty  motives  at  this  crisis  in  the 
affairs  of  the  executive  officer  of  the  Harrisburg.  It  is 
reasonable  to  believe  that  he  remembered  how  Jack  had 
behaved  on  a  similar  occasion,  and  how  much  credit  he 
had  obtained  by  his  promptness  and  courage.  Be  this  as 
it  may,  Sam  Becket  plunged  into  the  river,  and  swam 
towards  Mr.  Bankhead. 


208  7^777?    SAILOR     BOY;    OR, 

Though  Beckct  was  not  an  expert  swimmer,  he  suc- 
ceeded in  reaching  Mr.  Bankhead  as  he  rose,  and  grasped 
him  by  the  collar,  regardless  of  the  dignity  of  his  high 
office.  It  is  quite  probable,  however,  if  a  charred  timber 
had  not  floated  near  him  at  this  critical  period,  that 
both  of  them  would  have  gone  to  the  bottom  together. 
Becket  was  clumsy  in  his  operations  ;  but  he  kept  a  firm 
hold  upon  the  sufferer  till  the  boat  came  up  and  rescued 
them. 

Then  it  appeared  that  the  first-lieutenant  of  the  Har- 
risburg  had  struck  his  head  in  falling,  which  had  in- 
flicted a  serious  injury,  and  deprived  him  of  conscious- 
ness. The  ship  had  noAv  backed  down  to  the  little 
steamer.  A  heave-line  was  thrown  upon  her  deck,  and 
the  hawser  hauled  on  board.  The  second  cutter  pulled 
immediately  to  the  gangway ;  and  Mr.  Bankhead,  still 
insensible,  was  conveyed  to  the  deck,  and  thence  to  the 
wardroom,  where  Dr.  Sawsett,  full  of  interest  and  sym- 
pathy, hastened  to  his  assistance.  The  hawser  was  se- 
cured, and  the  ship  proceeded  on  her  course  with  her 
prize  in  tow. 

The  Harrisburg,  shortly  after  this  accident,  arrived 
before  New  Orleans,  and  anchored.  The  events  con- 
nected with  the  surrender  of  the  city  are  matters  of  his- 
tory ;  and  we  shall  confine  our  attention  to  the  personages 
who  have  already  been  presented  to  the  reader.  Mr. 
Bankhead  was  not  dangerously  injured,  though  he  was 


JACK    SOMERS    IN    THE    NAVY.  209 

confined  to  his  bed  a  few  days  ;  and  Jack  Somers  was 
relieved  of  a  heavy  load  of  anxiety,  when  he  saw  him 
return  to  duty  at  the  expiration  of  a  Aveek. 

It  need  scarcely  be  said  that  Sam  Becket  had  suddenly 
become  a  hero  ;  that,  from  the  neglect  induced  by  his  lost 
reputation,  he  had  at  once  risen  to  the  pinnacle  of  popular- 
ity. Men  began  to  understand  and  appreciate  him.  They 
gave  him  due  credit  for  the  noble  deed  he  had  performed, 
without  scrutinizing  his  motives.  Mr.  Bankhead  had 
sent  for  him  as  soon  as  he  was  able  to  see  him,  and 
thanked  him  for  the  service  he  had  rendered,  besides 
giving  him  an  intimation  that  he  should  be  suitably 
rewarded  in  the  future. 

The  first  time  that  the  executive  officer  appeared  on 
deck,  Jack  Somers  began  to  edge  this  way  and  that  way, 
beating  up  towards  the  quarter-deck,  till  he  found  him- 
self under  the  lee  of  the  mainmast.  It  would  have  been 
quite  evident,  to  any  one  who  had  Avatched  our  hero,  that 
he  desired -to  communicate  with  Mr.  Bankhead;  but  he 
was  very  shy  and  sheepish  in  his  movements.  He  was 
too  familiar  Avith  the  requisites  of  navy  discipline  to 
approach,  and  congratulate  his  powerful  friend  upon  his 
recovery,  as  he  Avould  gladly  have  done.  It  was  not  to 
do  any  stupid  thing  of  this  kind  which  caused  him  to 
edge  up  to  the  mainmast :  it  was  a  purely  business 
matter. 

At  last,  Avhen  he  had  mustered  the  requisite  degree 
14 


210  THE    SAILOR    BOY;     OR, 

of  boldness,  he  dashed  briskly  up  to  the  first-lieutenant, 
and  touched  his  cap.  His  face  was  covered  with  blushes, 
and  he  was  as  confused  as  a  school-girl  when  she  reads 
her  first  composition  in  public. 

"Well,  Somers?"  said  Mr.  Baukhead  kindly,  as  he 
smiled  at  the  difficulties  with  which  Jack  was  beset. 

"  I  beg  your  honor's  pardon  ! "  stammered  Jack,  taking 
off  his  cap  ;  "  but  I  wanted  to  speak  a  word  to  you  about 
Becket." 

"  What,  Somers  ?" 

"  If  you  please,  sir,  I  would  like  to  see  him  rated  as 
he  was  before  that  affair,"  added  Jack,  after  a  deal  of 
stumbling  and  blundering. 

"  Cockswain  of  the  captain's  gig?  Impossible  !  You 
would  be  disrated  if  that  were  done." 

"  Don't  mind  me,  if  you  please,  sir ;  and  I  would 
thank  your  honor  more  than  any  other  man  in  the  ship 
if  it  could  be  done." 

"  We  may  do  something  else  for  him ;  but  I  object 
to  disrating  you,"  replied  Mr.  Bankhead.  "  You  are 
a  good-hearted  fellow,  Somers  ;  and  you  shall  not  suffer 
for  it." 

Jack  argued  like  a  lawyer ;  alleging  that  it  would  be 
peculiarly  grateful  to  the  feelings  of  his  topmate  to  be 
restored  to  his  old  rating.  It  would  wipe  out  the  stain 
upon  his  character,  and  be  better  than  any  thing  else  that 
could  possibly  be  done  for  him.  At  last,  moved  by  all 


JACK    SOMERS    IN    THE    NAVY.  211 

these  arguments,  Mr.  Bankhead  promised  to  submit  the 
matter  to  Captain  Mainwright. 

Half  an  hour  afterwards,  the  word  was  passed  for 
Somers  to  appear  at  the  mainmast ;  which  is  the  high 
court  of  equity  on  board  a  man-of-war.  The  captain 
was  there,  and  heard  our  sailor-boy  repeat  his  request. 

"  Somers,  why  didn't  you  jump  over  after  Mr.  Bank- 
head?"  said  he  in  a  quizzing  tone. 

"  Because  your  honor  told  me  not  to  jump  overboard 
even  after  the  best  friend  I  had  in  the  world.  Besides, 
sir,  I  was  not  present  when  the  accident  happened." 

"  I  grant  his  request,  Mr.  Bankhead ;  but  Somers 
shall  be  rated  as  a  quartermaster  hereafter." 

' '  Thank  your  honor  !  "  exclaimed  Jack,  who,  though 
happy  to  have  Becket  receive  his  due,  was  not  at  all 
anxious  to  lose  his  own  rating  as  a  petty  officer. 

Becket  was  sent  for,  and  made  as  happy  as  -a  man 
could  be  by  the  restoration  of  his  rating  as  cockswain 
of  the  captain's  gig. 


212  THE   SAILOR   BOY;    OR, 


CHAPTER    XX. 

THE   TJ.    S.    STEAMER   MIDDY, 

"M  much  obleeged  to  you,  Jack  Somers,  for  what 
you  done,"  said  Becket,  as  they  sat  down  in 
the  mizzen-top,  on  the  evening  after  the  con- 
ference at  the  mainmast. 
"  I  knew,  after  what  had  happened,  that  the  first-luff 
would  want  you  to  have  your  old  place ;  and  I  thought 
I'd  help  him  out  a  bit,"  replied  Jack. 

"  It  was  handsome  of  you,  Jack ;  and,  with  all  my 
faults,  I'm  not  mean  enough  to  keep  still  after  what 
you've  done  for  me.  You've  been  unanimous  —  no,  that's 
"not  what  the  shore  lubbers  call  it." 

"  Magnanimous,"  added  Rushington,  whose  vocabu- 
lary was  more  extensive  than  that  of  the  mass  of  man- 
of-war's-rnen. 

"  Ay,  ay  :  that's  the  word.  It's  as  long  as  a  frigate's 
cable  ;  but  it's  just  what  I  meant.  You  saved  my  life, 
and  you  have  always  treated  me  handsomely,  Somers. 
Now  you've  put  me  back  just  where  I  was  before.  I 


•     JACK    SOMEKS    7.V    THE    NAVY.  213 

don't  want  to  be  foolish,  Jack ;  but  I'd  do  any  thing  in 
the  world  for  you." 

"  Thank  you,  Becket.  I'm  glad  I  had  a  chance  to  do 
you  a  good  turn." 

"  I've  been  a  rough  fellow,  in  my  day ;  but  you've 
taught  me  a  lesson  that  all  the  parsons  in  the  country 
couldn't  have  got  into  my  noddle.  By  the  way,  Jack, 
do  you  know  what  I  thought  of  you  when  we  first  come 
aboard  the  ship  ?  " 

"  I  haven't  the  least  idea." 

"  Well,  Jack,  I  thought  you  was  one  of  them  pious 
sort  of  lubbers  that  say  long  prayers,  and  go  canting  up 
and  down  the  rigging,  and  shirk  their  duty  whenever 
they  get  a  chance,  —  one  of  them  chaps  that's  always 
preaching  what  they  don't  practise." 

"  I  don't  see  where  you  got  such  an  idea  as  that  of 
me." 

"  Nor  I  nuther,  Jack  ;  but  I  did  get  it :  and  I  was 
determined  to  make  you  show  your  hand,  or  pick  a  quar- 
rel with  you.  We  had  some  talk  about  you  in  mess  No. 
2,  and  I  told  the  boys  I  meant  to  show  you  up.  I  was 
rather  taken  aback  when  you  wouldn't  odd-and-even 
You  got  the  laugh  on  me,  and  I  meant  to  sarve  you  out 
for  it.  You're  a  good  fellow,  Jack  ;  and,  what's  more'n 
that,  you're  just  my  idee  of  a  good  Christian." 

"  I'm  glad  your  opinion  of  me  has  changed,"  laughed 
Jack.  "  I'm  sure  I  haven't  lost  any  thing  by  being  fair 


214  THE    SAILOR    BOY;    OR, 

and  just  towards  you.  I'm  a  quartermaster  now.  and 
shall  still  wear  my  '  eagle,  anchor,  and  star.' " 

"  Silence  in  the  main-top  !  "  shouted  the  officer  of  the 
deck  at  this  interesting  point  in  the  conversation. 

The  sharp  rebuke  of  the  officer  of  the  deck  Avas  called 
forth  by  a  disturbance  in  the  main-top,  where  some  ex- 
traordinary event  appeared  to  have  transpired.  Some  of 
the  topmen  were  laughing,  and  some  were  swearing  ; 
and  the  aspect  of  the  matter  was,  that  a  practical  joke 
had  just  been  perpetrated.  The  mizzen-top  was  at  once 
deeply  interested  in  the  affairs  of  the  main-top  ;  and  the 
quarter-watch  were  exceedingly  curious  to  learn  the 
particulars.  Jack  Somers,  whose  new  rating  had  re- 
lieved him  from  duty  as  a  topman,  came  down  to  learn 
the  facts,  which  were  communicated  to  him  by  Ben 
Blinks. 

The  captain  of  the  after-guard  was  an  epicure,  and  had 
prepared,  for  his  own  especial  use,  a  dish  of  dunderfunk, 
—  a  man-of-war  delicacy  which  comes  the  nearest  to 
what  the  Tremont  House  would  serve  up  under  the  more 
pretentious  title  of  "  cracker-pudding "  than  any  other 
dish  that  can  be  mentioned.  It  is  made  of  "  hard-tack" 
pounded  up,  with  "slush"  and  molasses  stirred  in,  and 
baked  brown  in  a  tin  dish.  The  captain  of  the  after- 
guard had  no  relish  for  the  gross  viands  of  the  mess- 
table  ;  for  he  was  a  very  nice  young  man.  Indeed,  all 
the  after-guard  are  nice  young  men  ;  being  selected  lor 


JACK    SOMERS    /Ar    THE    NAVY.  215 

their  trim  and  dandy  appearance,  because  their  duty  lies 
on  the  quarter-deck,  to  haul  the  main-braces,  to  handle 
the  spanker-sheet,  brails,  and  vangs,  and  similar  work  in 
that  part  of  the  ship  where  the  officers  "  most  do  con- 
gregate." 

Spear,  the  captain  of  the  after-guard,  had  duly  pre- 
pared his  dish  of  dunderfunk,  and  bribed  the  ship's  cook 
to  bake  it  for  him.  At  the  galley,  or  cooking-stove,  of  a 
large  man-of-war,  a  marine  is  usually  stationed,  in  busy 
times,  to  prevent  any  evil-disposed  persons  in  the  crew 
from  indulging  forbidden  appetites.  In  other  words,  a 
roast  chicken,  duck,  or  goose,  has  been  known  to  disap- 
pear from  the  galley  in  the  most  mysterious  manner ; 
but,  of  course,  appropriated  by  some  hungry  tars  who 
had  not  the  spirit  of  the  eighth  commandment  in  their 
hearts.  In  this  manner  had  Spear's  dunderfunk  taken  to 
itself  wings  ;  and  none  better  than  he  knew  how  vain  a 
thing  it  would  be  to  find  the  guilty  purloiner  of  the  de- 
licious mess. 

The  captain  of  the  after-guard  was  exceedingly  wroth 
at  first ;  but,  when  his  anger  had  spent  itself,  he  deter- 
mined to  wreak  upon  the  thief  or  thieves  a  sweet  re- 
venge. The  surgeon's  steward  kindly  provided  him  with 
a  quantity  of  ipecacuanha,  which  the  malicious  conspir- 
ator mixed  up  with  pounded  ship-biscuit,  and  put  the 
dough  in  a  baking-pan.  The  mess  was  duly  slushed  and 
sweetened,  and  committed  to  the  care  of  the  ship's  cook, 


•      216  THE    SAILOR    BOY!     OK, 

who,  with  half  a  dozen  others,  had  been  intrusted  Avith 
the  secret. 

When  the  drraderfunk  was  properly  cooked,  it  was 
placed  in  a  tempting  position  ;  and  the  cook  and  marine 
cunningly  afforded  the  victims  abundant  opportunity  to 
pilfer  the  pudding.  The  half-dozen  pairs  of  eyes  that  were 
watching  for  the  issue  of  the  plot  presently  saw  a  main- 
top-man slyly  appropriate  the  dish,  and  carry  it  to  the 
spar-deck.  The  fellow  hung  around  the  fife-rail  of  the 
mainmast  for  a  time  ;  but,  as  no  one  seemed  to  be  watch- 
ing him,  he  attached  to  it  a  small  cord  which  had  been 
dropped  down  from  the  main-top  for  the  purpose.  It 
was  then  hoisted  up  by  the  accomplices  of  the  thief,  who 
immediately  hastened  up  to  share  in  the  spoil. 

The  maintopmen  partook  greedily  of  the  pudding ; 
and,  as  the  medicinal  ingredient  had  been  liberally  sup- 
plied, the  victims  of  the  joke  were  soon  in  a  suffering 
condition.  Spear's  interests  were  represented  in  the 
main-top  by  a  friend ;  and,  as  soon  as  the  thief  and  his 
^accomplices  began  to  be  sick,  he  began  to  laugh  so  im- 
moderately, that  the  joke  had  to  be  explained.  Not  only 
the  stomachs  but  the  tempers  of  the  victims  rebelled. 
They  were  mad  with  everybody,  and  disgusted  with 
themselves  ;  and,  Avhile  they  swore  and  vowed  vengeance 
upon  the  authors  of  the  joke,  those  who  had  not  par- 
taken laughed,  till  the  din  from  the  main-top  constituted 
u  broach  of  discipline,  which  called  forth  the  sharp  re- 
buke from  the  oHicer  of  the  deck. 


JACK    SOMERS    IN    THE    NAVY.  217 

The  history  of  the  joke  spread  through  the  ship,  and 
undoubtedly  penetrated  the  sacred  recesses  of  the  cabin 
and  wardroom.  Every  man  on  board  was  in  a  broad 
grin  for  the  next  twenty-four  hours  ;  and  the  victims  of 
the  plot  became  livid  Avith  rage  when  any  one  ventured 
to  mention  "dunderfunk  emetics."  We  sincerely  hope 
that  the  moral  influence  of  the  conspiracy  was  not  lost 
upon  them,  and  that  it  inspired  in  them  a  deep  and  last- 
ing reverence  for  the  eighth  commandment. 

We  beg  the  reader's  pardon  for  the  intrusion  of  this 
nauseous  incident  in  our  story,  which  nothing  but  fidelity 
to  the  truth  of  history  would  have  induced  us  to  narrate. 
It  is  only  a  specimen  of  the  practical  jokes  which  men- 
of-war's-men  play  off  upon  each  other,  and  which  afford 
an  agreeable,  but  not  always  salutary,  relief  from  the 
monotony  of  life  on  board  ship,  especially  in  seasons  of 
inactivity. 

The  Harrisburg  had  been  somewhat  injured  by  the 
shot  and  shell  of  the  rebels  in  the  two  actions  in  which 
she  had  been  engaged  ;  and,  while  she  remained  at  anchor 
opposite  the  city,  her  repairs  were  in  progress.  At  the 
same  time,  by  order  of  the  flag-officer,  the  little  steamer 
which  had  been  rescued  from  the  flames  by  the  crew  of 
the  Harrisburg  was.  refitted  for  service.  A  thirty-two- 
pounder  was  placed  xipon  her  forecastle,  and  a  twenty- 
four-pounder  on  each  side  abaft  the  paddle-boxes  ;  and  she 
was  suitably  prepared  for  the  accommodation  of  her  fu- 


218  THE    SAILOR    BOY;    OB, 

ture  officers  and  crew.  Her  name  was  changed,  and  she 
was  henceforth  to  be  known  as  the  Middy.  Giving  her 
this  undignified  appellative  was  a  freak  of  the  naval  offi- 
cers in  charge  of  the  difficult  task  of  finding  a  suitable 
title  for  the  new-born  gunboat:  but  there  was  no  small 
degree  of  fitness  in  the  name  ;  for  the  steamer  was  both 
small  and  smart,  which  are  supposed  to  be  the  represen- 
tative characteristics  of  the  young  gentlemen  whose  offi- 
cial position  is  designated  by  the  word. 

The  Middy  made  a  trial  trip  when  her  repairs  were 
completed,  and  proved  herself  to  be  even  more  than  had 
been  anticipated  by  her  sanguine  projector.  She  went 
down  to  Fort  Jackson,  and  returned,  making  splendid 
time,  and  working  to  the  entire  satisfaction  of  Mr.  Bank- 
head,  who  had  superintended  her  alterations.  On  her 
arrival  from  below,  she  came  to  anchor  under  the  quarter 
of  the  Harrisburg. 

On  the  following  day,  great  was  the  astonishment  of 
the  crew  when  it  was  whispered  through  the  ship  that 
Mr.  Bankhead,  at  his  own  request,  had  been  appointed 
to  the  command  of  the  little  gunboat.  But  the  report 
was  received  with  incredulity. 

"  Don't  you  believe  one  word  of  it,  my  darling,"  said 
Tom  Longstone,  to  whom  Jack  had  carried  the  astound- 
ing neAvs. 

"  I  hope  it  isn't  true,"  added  Jack,  who  Avas  sorely 
troubled  at  the  idea  of  losing  his  wardroom  friend. 


JACK    SOMERS    IN    THE   NAVY.  219 

"  Not  one  word  of  it,  my  dear.  Do  you  suppose  Mr. 
Bankhead  is  goin'  for  to  let  himself  down  into  such  a 
little  craft  as  that?  Why,  Jack,  my  boy.  he  ought  to 
have  the  command  of  a  sloop-of-war." 

"  But  the  Middy  is  a  fine  little  vessel." 

"  No  matter  for  that,  my  lad :  she  aren't  big  enough 
to  hold  a  man  like  Mr.  Bankhead.  If  they  should  send 
off  Mr.  Dickey,  or  even  Mr.  McBride,  I  shouldn't  so 
much  wonder.  But  to  send  off  the  fust-luff  in  a  cockle- 
shell like  that,  —  why,  it  aren't  reasonable." 

"  But  if  he  should  go  "  — 

"  I  tell  you,  my  darling,  he  aren't  goin'.  Why,  I'd 
almost  as  soon  think  of  the  commodore's  goin'  in  her 
himself!" 

"  But  officers  are  selected  according  to  the  service  they 
have  to  perform,  as  well  as  to  the  size  of  the  vessel.  The 
Middy  may  be  ordered  to  duty  which  requires  one  of  the 
best  officers  in  the  fleet."  , 

"  That  may  be,  Jack,"  said  Tom,  taking  off  his  cap, 
and  rubbing  his  bald  head. 

"  Suppose  he  should  go,  what  will  become  of  me  ?  " 

"  He  aren't  goin',  I  tell  ye,  my  dear,"  persisted  Tom. 
"  You  mought  as  well  talk  of  the  cap'n's  goin'  cockswain 
of  the  dingy  !  " 

Notwithstanding  the  very  decided  opinions  of  Quarter- 
master Longstone,  Mr.  Bankhead  was  dHadicd  from  (lie 
Harrisburg,  uiul  ordered  to  the  Middy.  The  report 


220  THE    SAILOR    BOY;    OR, 

passed  from  the  wardroom  to  the  steerage,  and  thence, 
through  Mr.  Bobstock,  the  boatswain,  to  Cheeks,  ser- 
geant of  marines,  who  conveyed  it  to  a  ship's  corporal, 
by  whom  it  was  disseminated  through  the  ship,  clothed 
with  such  an  air  of  authority,  that  even  Longstone  and 
Grummet  were  compelled  to  believe. 

"  It  may  be  so,  Jack,"  said  Tom. 

"  There  can  no  longer  be  a  doubt,"  added  Jack. 

"All  I  got  to  say  is,  if  it  is  so,  then  the  Middy's  goin' 
to  do  a  big  thing  somewhere." 

"  I  wouldn't  care,  if  I  were  only  wim  of  going  in  her," 
continued  Jack. 

"  Do  you  want  to  go  off  in  the  Middy,  and  leave  me 
here,  my  darling?  Haven't  I  watched  over  you  like  a 
baby  ?  Haven't  I  mended  your  troupers,  like  your  grand- 
mother ?  Didn't  I  put  that  '  eagle,  anchor,  and  star ' 
in  your  blue  frock?  Haven't  I  nu«sed  ye,  and  tended 
ye,  and  made  a  man-o'-war's-mau  of  ye?  And  now  you 
want  to  go  for  to  leave  me  !  " 

"  No,  I  don't  want  to  leave  you,  Tom.  I  w?.Dt  you  to 
go  with  me." 

"  You'd  sartinly  git  killed  in  the  fu.<*.  action,  if  I  wa'n't 
there  to  take  care  of  ye." 

"  You  shall  be  there,  Tom.  I  won'f  leave  the  Harris- 
burg  without  you,  if  I  can  help  it." 

"  Give  us  your  flipper,  my  dear.  I  hain't  got  nobody 
in  this  world  but  you,  Jack  ;  and,  if  yo>i  cast  off  and 


JACK    SOMERS    IN    THE    NAVY.  221 

leave  me,  I  won't  keer  much  what  becomes  of  this  old 
hulk." 

"  I  will  not  leave  you,  if  I  can  help  it,  Tom,"  replied 
Jack,  much  moved  by  the  tenderness  of  the  old  man. 

"  I  know  you  Avou't,  Jack.  I  allus  took  you  for  an 
Iiouest  lad ;  and,  if  you  desart  me,  I  shall  be  disap- 
pinted,  —  that's  all.  Now  read  me  a  chapter  in  your 
mother's  Testament,  my  darling." 

Jack  took  the  Testament  from  its  place  of  coucealment 
under  the  mess-table,  and  read  —  as  he  had  often  done 
before  to  the  old  quartermaster  —  a  portion  of  a  chapter. 
Tom,  as  was  his  habit,  commented  upon  the  text  in 
man-of-war  style.  Our  sailor-boy  listened,  but  with  only 
half  his  attention  ;  for  the  Middy  was  still  an  anxious 
topic  in  his  mind. 

A  week  elapsed  before  any  decided  steps  were  taken 
in  manning  the  Middy  ;  and  Jack  was  full  of  doubts  and 
fears.  In  the  mean  time,  the  little  steamer  had  taken  in 
her  ammunition,  small-arms,  provisions,  and  stores,  and 
seemed  to  be  entirely  ready  for  a  cruise. 

We  have  continually  spoken  of  the  Middy  as  a  little 
steamer  ;  and  so  she  was,  when  compared  with  the  larger 
steamers  of  the  fleet :  but  she  was  extensive  enough  to 
require  the  services  of  forty  men,  including  petty-officers 
and  marines,  besides  her  officers  and  the  engineers  and 
firemen.  Her  crew  was  selected  with  great  care  from 
the  squadron  ;  and  we  are  happy  to  inform  our  anxious 


222  run  SAILOR  nor;   or., 

readers  that  both  Jack  Somers  and  Tom  Longstonc  were 
drafted  into  her,  to  their  intense  satisfaction. 

Passed-midshipmau  Hayswell  was  appointed  first-lieu- 
tenant, and  Mr.  Midshipman  Dickey  was  ordered  to  the 
little  gunboat  iu  the  capacity  of  second-lieutenant,  —  a 
promotion  which  added  three  inches  to  his  height  in 
a  single  instant. 

The  officers  and  crew  of  the  Middy  went  on  board, 
and  at  once  made  themselves  comfortable  in  their  new 
quarters. 


JACK    SOMEIIS    IN    THE    NAVY. 


CHAPTER    XXI. 

UP   THE    RIVER. 

'ACK  SOMERS  was  delighted  with  the  change 
which  had  been  made  in  his  position :  not  that 
/^\/7  he  was  dissatisfied  with  his  duties  on  board  the 
" —  Harrisburg ;  but  there  was  a  prospect  of  being 
ordered  to  more  active  duty.  The  Middy  was  small  and 
fast ;  and  he  was  confident  that  her  services  would  be  in 
continual  demand.  Besides,  Mr.  Bankhead  was  now  his 
captain  ;  and  he  hoped  he  should  have  a  better  opportu- 
nity to  distinguish  himself. 

Jack  had  hardly  become  accustomed  to  his  new  quar- 
ters in  the  Middy  before  a  new  character  appeared  on 
board,  and  one  with  whom  the  quartermasters  were  to 
become  particularly  intimate.  He  was  a  rough-looking 
man,  and  swore  ever  so  much  more  than  there  ^vas  any 
need  of;  but  he  was  not  much  worse  than  many  of  the 
crew.  Jack  Sorners  had  not  yet  learned  to  swear.  He  was 
strongly  tempted,  sometimes,  to  use  big  words  ;  but,  when 
he  observed  that  Mr.  Bankhead  and  Mr.  Granger  never 
uttered  an  oath,  he  came  to  the  conclusion  that  he  could 


224  THE    SAILOR    BOY;    OR, 

better  afford  to  imitate  them  than  the  seamen  who  were 
less  careful  of  their  speech.  Tom  Longstone  never  used 
a  profane  word  ;  and  a  long  conversation  with  him,  while 
the  Harrisburg  lay  at  anchor  below  the  city,  had  fully 
confirmed  all  liis  previous  resolutions. 

Mr.  Luusley  did  swear ;  and  his  nose  was  very  red, 
and  his  manners  very  coarse.  Jack  did  not  like  him  at 
all  when  he  appeared  at  the  wheel-house,  Avhere  the  two 
quartermasters  were  eugaged  in  making  things  snug  and 
orderly.  He  was  the  very  antipodes  of  Mr  Bankhead, 
who  was  a  perfect  gentleman  in  all  his  relations  both 
with  his  inferiors  and  his  superiors  in  rank.  There  was 
only  one  thing  about  him  which  Jack  did  like  ;  and  that 
wras  the  rosette  of  "  red,  white,  and  blue,"  which  he  wore 
upon  the  lappel  of  his  coat,  indicating  that  he  was  a  loyal 
man.  In  the  midst  of  so  many  traitors,  this  was  no 
small  recommendation  in  a  man  who  knew  every  bend 
and  shoal  of  the  Mississippi  River. 

"All  hands,  up  anchor,  ahoy!"  passed  through  the 
Middy  shortly  after  the  appearance  of  Mr.  Lunsley. 

Tom  Longstone  and  Jack  were  in  the  wheel-house 
with  the  pilot,  who  was  smoking  his  cigar,  and  watching 
the  operations  of  the  sailors  on  the  forecastle. 

"Anchor's  away,  sir  !  "  said  the  man  who  officiated  iu 
the  capacity  of  boatswain,  to  Mr.  Hayswell,  Avho  stood 
upon  the  hurricane-deck. 

"  Strike  one  bell,  Jack  !  "  added  the  lieutenant. 


JACK    SOMERS    IN    THE    NAVY.  225 

"  One  bell,  sir  !  " 

The  Middy  went  ahead  slowly ;  and,  when  the  anchor 
had  been  placed  on  the  forecastle,  the  four  bells  were 
struck,  and  she  went  ahead  rapidly  up  the  river.  Jack 
had  the  wheel,  and  received  his  directions  from  Mr. 
Lunsley,  who  continued  to  smoke  his  cigar  and  to  swear, 
though  he  had  nothing  particular  to  swear  at. 

At  the  time  of  which  we  write,  the  country  on  both 
sides  of  the  river  was  in  possession  of  the  enemy,  who 
closely  watched  the  stream,  though  they  were  very  care- 
ful not  to  demonstrate  upon  any  of  the  gunboats  which 
passed  up  and  down  after  the  capture  of  New  Orleans. 
Though  the  rebels  could  not  successfully  contest  the  pos- 
session of  the  river  with  the  powerful  naval  armaments 
of  the  Government,  it  was  their  policy  to  impede  the  nav- 
igation as  much  as  possible.  Masked  batteries  had  been 
planted  at  various  points,  and  companies  of  light  artillery 
and  sharp-shooters  were  employed  to  annoy  any  steamers 
which  had  not  the  means  of  returning  the  fire. 

Even  the  gunboats  and  larger  vessels  were  annoyed  by 
riflemen  attempting  to  pick  off  any  man  who  showed  his 
head  above  the  bulwarks,  or  appeared  in  the  rigging. 
The  Middy  had  been  prepared  for  duty  with  a  full 
knowledge  of  this  state  of  things.  Her  wheel-house  had 
been  plated  with  iron  sufficiently  thick  to  resist  a  rifle- 
ball.  Iron  screens  had  been  prepared  to  protect  the  men 
while  working  the  guns. 
15 


226  THE    SAILOR    HOY;    OB, 

The  Middy  continued  on  her  course  up  the  river,  bear- 
ing the  stars  and  stripes  through  the  very  midst  of  the  dis- 
comfited rebels.  The  men  were  piped  to  dinner  as  usual ; 
and  no  one  on  board  seemed  to  consider  that  he  was  in 
the  enemy's  country,  and  surrounded  by  enterprising  and 
spiteful  foes.  Tom  was  at  dinner  ;  and  Jack  was  alone 
with  Mr.  Lunsley,  who  declared  that  he  could  not  leave 
till  the  steamer  had  passed  a  certain  difficult  bend  which 
he  described. 

"  I  think  I  can  get  along  alone,  after  what  you  have 
said,"  added  Jack,  who  had  a  great  deal  of  confidence  in 
his  own  ability. 

"  Perhaps  you  can,  my  little  joker  ;  but  I  don't  trust 
this  craft  out  of  sight  when  there's  a  shoal  ahead,"  re- 
plied the  pilot ;  and  of  course  he  could  not  utter  a  remark 
of  this  length  without  interlarding  it  with  half  a  dozen 
Mississippi  oaths. 

"  Your  directions  are  very  plain,  and  I  thought  I  un- 
derstood them." 

"  But  I  have  some  pride  in  this  business.  I've  run  up 
and  down  this  brook  for  ten  years,  and  always  had  good 
luck.  Now,  if  this  steamer  should  get  aground,  some 
of  your  folks  would  call  me  a  traitor,  or  some  other 
pretty  name  of  that  sort." 

"  I  think  not,  sir." 

"  I  won't  trust  'em,  little  joker.     If  you  "  — 

The   loyal   philosophy   which   was   contained   in   the 


JACK    SOMERS    IN    THE    NAVY.  227 

thought  Mr;  Lunsley  was  about  to  utter  was  forever 
lost  upon  our  hero  ;  for  a  cannou-shot  at  this  instant 
Arliistled  through  the  air,  unpleasantly  near  the  wheel- 
house. 

"  I  know'd  it !  "  said  he,  changing  his  tone  and  man- 
ner. 

"  Knew  what?" 

"  I  know'd  there  was  a  battery  here." 

"  What  did  you  run  us  upon  it  for,  then?" 

"We  must  go  in  the  channel,  any  way,  my  joker. 
But  may  be  you  ain't  afraid  of  cannon-balls?" 

"  Not  particularly ;  though  I  have  a  wholesome  re- 
spect for  them  when  they  are  properly  projected,"  replied 
Jack. 

Another  shot  followed  the  first,  and  then  a  third. 
The  crew  were  called  to  quarters,  and  Tom  Longstone 
returned  to  the  wheel-house.  Captain  Bankhead  took 
his  station  on  the  hurricane-deck,  by  the  side  of  the 
pilot ;  and  Mr.  Hayswell  was  on  the  forward-deck. 

"  Strike  two  bells,  quartermaster,"  said  the  captain. 

"  Two  bells,  sir." 

The  boat  stopped  ;  for  it  was  no  part  of  Captain  Bank- 
head's  plan  to  have  his  vessel  knocked  to  pieces  without 
an  adequate  compensation.  By  his  order,  the  thirty-two- 
povmder  on  the  forecastle  was  discharged  in  the  direction 
from  which  the  shot  came.  Old  Grummet  was  captain 
of  this  piece ;  and  there  was  not  a  better  gunner  in  the 


228  THE    SAILOR    BOY;    OR, 

navy.  The  old  man  growled  all  the  time  ;  but  he  worked 
with  an  alacrity  which  spoke  better  for  his  zeal  and 
courage  than  his  words  did.  After  half  a  dozen  shells 
had  been  thrown  into  the  thicket  from  which  the  firing 
had  proceeded,  the  guns  of  the  enemy  appeared  to  be 
silenced ;  and  the  Middy  again  proceeded  on  her  way. 

She  had  been  backed  down  the  stream  some  distance  ; 
and,  during  the  firing,  the  engine  had  worked  just  enough 
to  keep  her  head  up  the  river,  and  give  her  steerage-way. 
As  she  advanced,  the  thirty-two-pouuder  continued  to 
discourse  with  the  unseen  rebels. 

"  We  are  all  right  now,  Tom  !  "  said  Jack. 

"  Not  yet,  my  darling.  The  rebel  guns  is  short  range  ; 
and,  when  we  come  up,  they'll  give  us  some  more." 

"  You  may  depend  on  that,"  added  Mr.  Lunsley. 
"  Starboard !  quartermaster." 

"  Starboard,  sir  !  "  replied  Torn. 

"Steady!" 

"  Steady,  sir  ! " 

"  Now  we  catch  it  again  ! "  continued  the  pilot.  "  Star- 
board ! " 

"  Starboard,  sir  ! "  replied  Tom,  as  another  shot  passed 
over  the  forward-deck,  so  that  the  "  wind  "  could  be  felt 
in  the  pilot-house. 

Just  then,  Tom  was  called  to  assist  in  working  one  of 
the  quarter-guns,  and  Jack  was  left  alone  at  the  wheel. 
The  pilot  kept  well  back  behind  the  iron  plates  which 
shielded  the  helmsman. 


JACK   SOMEKS   IN    THE   NAVY.  229 

"  Hard-a-starboard  !  "  said  the  pilot. 

"  You  don't  see  where  you  are  going,  sir ! "  replied 
Jack. 

The  sun,  which  had  been  behind  a  cloud,  at  this  mo- 
ment came  out,  and  the  helmsman  could  distinctly  see 
the  bottom  on  the  bow  of  the  Middy.  There  was  not 
four  fcet  of  water  in  the  direction  the  pilot  had  ordered 
him  to  steer. 

u  Hard-a-starboard  ! "  repeated  the  pilot  sharply.  "  Do 
you  think  I  don't  know  this  river  better  than  you  do  ? 

"  But  look,  sir  !     I  can  see  the  bottom  ! ' 

At  this  moment,  the  thirty-two-pounder  sent  another 
shell  into  the  thicket,  the  noise  of  which  seemed  to  startle 
Luusley,  and  he  crouched  back  into  his  former  position. 
He  had  risen  with  the  intention  of  taking  the  wheel  from 
the  hands  of  the  refractory  quartermaster.  Three  or 
four  more  shots  from  the  shore  passed  near  the  Middy : 
but  she  was  still  untouched ,  for  her  motion  prevented 
the  rebel  gunners  from  obtaining  the  correct  range. 

"  Hard-a-starboard  the  helm  !"  shouted  Lunsley  again, 
when  he  had  quieted  his  nerves. 

This  time  he  did  not  wait  for  Jack  to  execute  the 
order,  but  rose,  and  seized  the  spokes  of  the  wheel,  roll- 
ing it  over  in  the  direction  indicated. 

"  Better  mind  what  I  say  !  "  growled  he  with  a  volley 
of  oaths,  which  made  Jack's  blood  run  cold. 

"  There's  no  water  there  !  "   exclaimed  Tom,  glancing 


230  THE    SAILOR    BOY;    OR, 

over  the  port-bow  at  the  long  shoal,  which  could  be  dis- 
tinctly seeii. 

At  the  same  time,  mustering  all  the  strength  and  nerve 
of  his  slender  frame,  he  heaved- the  wheel  over  to  port 
again,  and  thus  prevented  the  Middy  from  grounding 
while  under  the  fire  of  the  enemy's  guns. 

"  Let  go  that  wheel,  you  villain ! "  cried  the.  pilot, 
attempting  to  grasp  him  by  the  throat. 

"  What's  the  matter  here?"  demanded  Captain  Bauk- 
head,  opening  the  door  of  the  pilot-house. 

kk  This  man  is  a  traitor  !  He's  trying  to  get  the  boat 
aground  !  "  replied  Jack  with  energy. 

"  He  lies  !  " 

"  Mind  your  helm,  Somers  !  "  said  Captain  Bankhead, 
unable  to  comprehend  the  merits  of  the  question. 

"  Shall  I  put  her  hard-a-starboard  as  he  orders  me?" 
asked  Jack.  "  You  can  see  the  bottom  there,  sir." 

The  captain  glanced  over  the  port-bow,  and  was  satis- 
fied that  the  quartermaster  had  spoken  the  truth. 

"  Steady  !  "  said  he. 

"  Steady,  sir ! "  repeated  Jack ;  which  is  the  order 
when  the  helm  is  to  be  kept  as  it  is. 

He  looked  at  Lunsley,  as  he  spoke,  with  a  triumphant 
expression  upon  his  face.  The  pilot's  face  was  as  dark 
as  a  thunder-cloud.  The  captain  stepped  out,  apparently 
satisfied  that  he  could  trust  Jack,  though  he  did  not  know 
any  thing  about  the  river,  better  than  the  pilot,  who  knew 
all  about  it. 


A  TRAITOR  IN  THE  WHEEL  HOUSE.    Page  231. 


JACK    SOMERS    IN    THE    NAVY.  231 

He  had  scarcely  closed  the  door  after  he  had  with- 
drawn, when  Lnnsley  sprang  to  the  wheel  again,  and 
made  a  vigorous  effort  to  throw  it  over  as  he  had  di- 
rected the  wheelman  to  do.  Jack  braced  his  feet  against 
the  spokes  underneath,  and  for  a  moment  prevented  the 
scoundrel  from  accomplishing  his  purpose.  But  the  pilot 
was  a  powerful  man,  and  Jack  found  himself  defeated  in 
his  attempt  by  main  strength  to  prevent  the  Middy  from 
being  thrown  ashore.  He  did  not  give  up  the  ship  :  and 
this  was  precisely  what  it  would  have  amounted  to,  if 
she  had  got  aground  there  ;  for  the  rebels  could  have 
knocked  her  to  pieces  in  five  minutes  if  she  would  only 
"  hold  still"  long  enough. 

When  he  found  he  was  not  a  match  in  physical  strength 
for  the  burly  pilot,  he  had  the  presence  of  mind  to  strike 
two  bells,  followed  by  three  ;  which  were  the  signals  re- 
spectively to  stop  and  back  her..  The  traitor,  finding 
the  steamer  was  receding  from  the  shoal,  sprang  forward 
towards  the  bell-pulls.  There  was  a  heavy  hard-wood 
stick  in  the  wheel-house,  which  had  been  used  to  pry 
up  the  iron  screens  into  position.  Jack  grasped  this 
weapon  ;  and,  as  the  pilot  placed  his  hand  upon  the  pull, 
he  struck  him  a  heavy  blow  upon  the  back  of  the  head, 
which  felled  him  to  the  deck. 

Jack  then  rang  two  bells,  —  stop  her;  one  bell, — 
ahead  slow  ;  four  bells,  —  ahead,  full  speed. 


232  THE    SAILOR    HOY;    OR, 


CHAPTER    XXII. 

JACK    ASnOBE. 

'HE  roar  of  the  guns,  and  the  busy  scenes  in  every 
part  of  the  steamer,  had  prevented  any  one  from 
noticing  the  affair  which  had  just  transpired  in 
the  wheel-house.  The  Middy  was  completely 
enveloped  in  the  smoke  of  her  own  guns  ;  and,  though 
Captain  Bankhead  was  on  the  hurricane-deck,  he  had  no 
knowledge  of  the  important  event  which  had  saved  his 
vessel  from  destruction.  The  stopping,  backing,  and 
going  ahead  again,  had  been  noticed,  of  course  ;  but  they 
were  supposed  to  have  been  occasioned  by  some  difficulty 
in  the  navigation. 

The  battery  which  had  opened  upon  the  Middy  was 
situated  upon  a  point  of  land  at  a  bend  in  the  river,  and 
on  the  port-hand.  Near  the  land,  there  was  a  broad 
shoal ;  for  the  current,  in  turning  this  curve,  would,  by 
its  natural  law,  sweep  round  to  the  opposite  shore.  As 
soon,  therefore,  as  Jack  found  himself  his  own  master 
in  the  wheel-house,  he  put  the  helm  well  a- port,  and  kept 
the  steamer  away  from  the  dangerous  ground. 


JACK    SOMERS    IN    THE    NAVY.  233 

Captain  Bankhead,  who  was  directing  the  action  ou 
deck,  had  passed  the  word  for  Tom  Lougstone  as  soon 
as  he  was  conscious  of  any  treachery  on  the  part  of 
Lmisley.  Before  Tom  came  up  from  below,  he  again 
opened  the  door  of  the  wheel-house,  where  he  discovered 
the  prostrate  form  of  the  traitor. 

"What's  this,  Soniers?"  demanded  Captain  Bank- 
head. 

"  He  is  a  traitor,  sir !  He  tried  to  take  the  wheel 
out  of  my  hands,  and  throw  the  steamer  on  that  shoal ! " 
replied  Jack  in  high  excitement.  "I  knocked  him  down' 
with  this  club,  and  kept  her  off." 

"  Good  Heaven ! "  exclaimed  the  captain,  Avho  could 
not  but  be  impressed  by  the  danger  he  had  just  escaped. 
"  You  have  done  well,  Jack.  Here  comes  Longstone. 
Keep  her  off  shore  a  few  minutes  longer,  and  Ave  shall  be 
clear  of  the  battery." 

"  Ay,  ay,  sir.  There  is  water  enough  for  us  anywhere 
on  the  starboard  hand.  We  are  all  right  now,  sir." 

"  Keep  her  steady,  Jack,  and  be  very  cai'eful.  Don't 
stop  her  again  if  you  can  help  it." 

"  I  will  not,  sir." 

"  Here,  Longstone  :  roll  this  traitor  out  of  the  wheel- 
house,  and  then  stand  by  with  Somers." 

"Ay,  ay,  sir;"  and  Tom  pitched  the  carcass  of  the 
pilot  out  of  the  wheel-house,  very  much  as  though  it  had 
been  the  body  of  a  dead  dog. 


234  THE    SAILOR    BOY;    OR, 

"What's  the  matter,  my  darling?"  asked  Tom  as  he 
joiued  Jack  at  the  wheel. 

"  Nothing  particular,  Tom.  I'll  tell  you  all  about  it, 
by  aiid  by,"  replied  Jack,  still  keeping  his  eyes  fixed  upon 
the  water  ahead. 

The  clouds  of  smoke  obstructed  his  vision  ;  but  he 
made  the  most  of  -the  brief  intervals  when  the  Aviud 
opened  a  clear  space  for  him.  He  felt  that  the  safety  of 
the  Middy  depended  as  much  upon  him  as  upon  the  cap- 
tain ;  for,  if  she  got  aground,  it  would  insure  her  destruc- 
tion in  a  very  few  moments.  The  rebels  were  improving 
in  their  practice,  and  two  or  three  shots  had  struck  the 
steamer.  One  had  passed  through  the  cabin  on  the  main 
deck  ;  and  another  had  ploughed  up  several  feet  of  the 
hurricane-deck,  abaft  the  smoke-stack. 

The  Middy  soon  passed  the  most  dangerous  point,  and 
the  guns  of  the  rebels  had  begun  to  fall  short  of  the 
mark.  Only  the  port-quarter  gun  of  the  steamer  could 
be  brought  to  bear  upon  the  battery ;  and  the  action 
seemed  to  be  over,  unless  Captain  Baukhead  chose  to 
renew  it. 

"  Where  is  that  pilot?"  asked  the  captain,  opening  the 
door  of  the  wheel-house. 

"  I  dunno,  sir :  I  pitched  him  out  on  the  hurricane- 
deck,"  replied  Tom,  stepping  out  to  look  for  his  victim. 

"  He  is  not  here  now." 

"  I  dropped  him  down  there,"  added  Tom,  pointing  to 


JACK    SOMERS    IN    THE    NAVY.  235 

the  place  where  he  had  deposited  the  senseless  form  of 
the  pilot. 

"  We  must  find  him  before  he  has  a  chance  to  do  any 
further  mischief." 

The  captain  and  quartermaster  walked  aft'to  ascertain 
what  had  become  of  Lunsley,  who  had  evidently  come  to 
his  senses,  and  taken  himself  off.  He  was  not  on  the 
hurricane-deck  ;  and  they  were  about  to  descend  to  the 
main-deck,  when  the  pilot's  canoe,  which  had  been  tow- 
ing astern,  was  discovered  some  distance  down  the  river, 
pulling  towards  the  battery.  The  villain,  who  had  in 
some  measure  recovered  from  the  effects  of  Jack's  blow, 
had  crept  down  from  the  hurricane-deck  during  the 
excitement  of  the  action,  and  taken  to  his  canoe.  A 
twenty-four-pound  tjhot  from  one  of  the  quarter-guns  was 
sent  after  him ;  but  the  object  was  so  small,  and  the 
distance  so  great,  that  the  gunner  failed  to  hit  it. 

The  Middy  was  then  put  about,  so  as  to  bring  the  thirty- 
two-pounder  to  bear  upon  the  battery,  and  again  opened 
fire  upon  the  rebels  ;  for  Captain  Bankhead  expressed  his 
purpose  to  clean  out  the  enemy  from  their  position.  As 
the  battery  did  not  reply,  she  was  moved  tip  nearer,  so 
that  one  of  the  twenty-four-pounders  could  also  command 
the  spot.  After  firing  for  half  an  hour  without  eliciting 
any  response  from  the  rebels,  the  Middy  went  down  the 
river  again,  and  placed  herself  in  different  positions  to 
tempt  the  enemy  to  renew  the  action  ;  but  the  battery 
was  still  silent. 


236  THE    SAILOR    BOY  i    OR, 

The  quarter-boat  on  the  starboard-side  was  then  cleared 
away  ;  and  Mr.  Hayswell,  the  first-lieutenant,  was  ordered 
on  shore  to  examine  the  position. 

"  Somers,  you  will  go  in  the  boat.  Mr.  Hayswell  may 
want  such  a  person  as  you  are  to  assist  him,"  said  Cap- 
tain Bankhead. 

"  Thank  you,  sir." 

"  Take  a  pistol  and  cutlass  with  you,  and  don't  be 
reckless." 

"Ay,  ay,  sir." 

The  boat  contained  twelve  men  besides  the  officer, 
and  pulled  to  the  nearest  point  of  land,  just  below  the 
battery,  where  it  could  be  covered  in  case  of  necessity  by 
the  guns  of  the  steamer.  Mr.  Hayswell  with  eight  of 
the  men  landed,  and  cautiously  made  their  Avay  up  to  the 
battery.  They  found  a  rude  earthwork ;  but  there  was 
not  a  gun  to  be  seen  :  and  it  was  evident  that  the  fort 
had  been  manned  by  a  battery  of  light-artillery,  which 
had  decamped  when  the  fire  became  too  warm  for  the 
gunners. 

A  short  distance  from  the  thicket  in  which  the  gun- 
ners had  been  concealed,  there  was  the  mansion-house 
of  a  plantation,  with  its  village  of  negro-huts  in  the 
vicinity.  It  was  important  to  know  in  what  direction 
the  battery  had  gone  ;  for  Mr.  Hayswell  concluded  that 
it  had  gone  farther  up  the  river,  to  open  upon  the  steamer 
from  another  position.  The  party  ,  therefore,  advanced 


JACK    SOMERS    IX    THE    NAVY.      •          237 

towards  the  mansion,  but  with  the  utmost  care,  to  avoid 
falling  into  an  ambush  or  any  other  trap  which  the 
rebels  might  have  set  for  them. 

"  Bress  de  Lord,  massa !  De  jubilee  am  come  !  " 
shouted  a  negro,  stepping  out  from  a  cabin  as  the  party 
approached  the  negro-huts. 

Mr.  Hayswell  at  once  proceeded  to  question  the  negro 
in  regard  to  the  battery  which  had  occupied  the  earth- 
work. The  man  was  very  willing  to  give  any  informa- 
tion in  his  power ;  but  unfortunately  he  knew  nothing, 
except  that  the  rebels  had  taken  the  road  which  he 
pointed  out.  It  was  a  cross-road  leading  from  the  main 
highway ;  and  the  battery  might  have  gone  up  or  down 
the  river,  —  he  could  not  tell  which.  Mr.  Hayswell  then 
decided  to  visit  the  mansion-house,  leaving  the  negro 
very  much  depressed  in  spirits  because  "  de  jubilee"  had 
not  yet  come,  and  five  hundred  slaves  were  not  to  be 
carried  off  by  the  little  Middy. 

The  people  at  the  mansion-house  were  very  uncommu- 
nicative. They  did  not  know  where  the  battery  had 
gone ;  did  not  know  there  was  any  battery ;  had  heard 
firing,  but  did  not  know  what  it  meant ;  thought  it  best 
not  to  interfere  with  matters  that  did  not  concern  them. 
Mr.  Hayswell  did  not  deem  it  prudent  to  continue  his 
investigation  any  farther,  and  left  the  house.  He  had 
scarcely  stepped  off  the  veranda  before  a  dense  smoke 
was  discovered  some  distance  up  the  river.  The  cotton- 


238  '  TIIK    SAILOR    VOY;    OR, 

burners,  alarmed  at  the  approach  of  the  Union  force,  had 
probably  set  fire  to  a  pile  of  the  precious  commodity. 
The  smoke  indicated  in  what  direction  the  battery  had 
gone  ;  and  Mr.  Hays  well  decided  to  reconnoitre  that 
way :  for  it  was  the  military  force  of  the  Confederacy 
which  destroyed  cotton  ;  and  there  could  be  hardly  a 
doubt  that  the  party  which  had  fired  upon  the  Middy 
was  the  same  that  performed  this  work  of  destruction. 

The  boat-crew  had  advanced  but  a  short  distance  be- 
fore the  lieutenant  was  startled  by  the  roar  of  artillery 
in  the  direction  of  the  earthwork,  near  the  spot  where  he 
had  landed.  It  did  not  proceed  from  the  Middy's  thirty- 
two-pouuder. 

"  What  does  that  mean  ?  "  said  Mr.  Hays  well  as  the 
party  halted. 

"  I  think  the  battery  of  artillery  has  got  back  to  its 
old  position,  sir,"  replied  Jack,  who  was  the  person 
addressed. 

"  If  it  has,  we  are  in  a  bad  situation." 

"  I'm  afraid  we  are,  sir  !  "  added  Jack,  who  wanted  to 
ask  Mr.  Hayswell  why  he  had  wandered  so  far  from  his 
boat,  since  it  did  not  make  much  difference  where  the 
battery  had  gone  ;  but  he  was  too  well  trained  to  ask  an 
impertinent  question. 

"  We  must  get  back,  if  we  can,"  added  Mr.  Hayswell, 
who  seemed  to  be  very  much  perplexed  at  the  difficulty 
of  his  situation-,  as  well  he  might  have  been. 


JACK    SOMERS    IN    THE    NAVY.  239 

He  led  his  party  down  to  the  shore  of  the  river,  which 
Jack  thought  was  the  stupidest  thing  he  could  possibly 
do  ;  for  the  earthwork  was  uow  between  them  and  the 
boat.  The  Middy  could  not  even  be  seen  around  Hie 
bend  of  the  river.  At  last,  when  the  situation  seemed 
to  be  utterly  hopeless,  Jack'  ventured  to  suggest  that  they 
might  pass  round  the  battery,  and  reach  the  boat  below, 
or  at  least  escape  capture  till  the  Middy  had  time  to  shell 
out  the  rebels  a  second  time. 

Mr.  Hay  swell  adopted  the  suggestion  ;  and  the  party 
succeeded,  Avith  the  help  of  the  negro  who  was  waiting 
for  the  jubilee,  in  making  their  way  as  far  as  the  cross- 
road, which  led  from  the  principal  highway  to  a  laud- 
ing-place  on  the  river.  While  the  boat-expedition  were 
looking  for  the  cotton-burners  half  a  mile  above,  the 
rebel  artillery  company  had  returned  by  this  road  to 
their  original  position.  Of  course  the  enemy  had  a  mo- 
tive in  leaving  the  earthwork,  and  a  motive  in  returning 
to  it.  The  subject  Avas  rather  dark  to  Mr.  Hayswell ;  but 
the  fact  was  undeniable. 

Meanwhile,  the  shells  from  the  Middy  were  dropping 
into  the  earthwork,  and  doing  terrible  execution  among 
the  rebels.  About  the  time  our  party  reached  the  road, 
they  had  got  about  enough  of  it,  and  were  on  the  point 
of  retiring  again,  probably  satisfied  that  they  had 
"  waked  up  the  wrong  customer "  when  they  attacked 
the  little  Middy.  Now,  it  was  very  unfortunate  for  our 


240  THE    SAILOR    BOY;     OR, 

people  on  shore  that  this  result  had  been  reached  at 
this  particular  moment ;  for  the  retreating  graybacks 
instantly  discovered  the  blue-jackets,  and,  with  a  whoop 
aud  a  yell,  dashed  forward  for  the  purpose  of  capturing 
them. 

Resistance  was  useless ;  and  Mr.  Hayswell  ordered 
the  men  to  run  for  their  lives  ;  of  which  permission  they 
promptly  availed  themselves.  Most  of  them  attempted 
to  make  a  sweep  round  the  road,  and  reach  the  boats, 
where  the  rebels  followed  them.  Jack  prudently  re- 
treated in  another  direction  ;  and,  reaching  a  gin-house, 
crawled  in,  and  stowed  himself  away  among  the  ma- 
chinery. 

The  guns  of  the  Middy  still, played  a  lively  tune,  and 
Jack  was  in  hope  that  his  companions  had  escaped.  He 
remained  in  his  concealment  until  he  thought  the  rebels 
must  have  retired,  and  then  crept  out.  No  firing  had 
been  heard  for  some  time ;  and  he  stealthily  moved 
towards  the  river,  confident  that  his  progress  would 
not  be  interrupted.  But  this  was  a  day  of  mistakes  ; 
and  our  hero  soon  found  that  he  had  miscalculated  his 
chances.  The  rebels  had  ceased  firing,  because  their 
twelve-pounders  only  drew  the  steamer's  fire,  which  they 
found  too  much  for  them,  without  injuring  her. 

While  he  was  slowly  and  cautiously  making  his  way 
towards  the  river,  he  was  suddenly  and  very  unexpectedly 
accosted  by  a  couple  of  graybacks. 


JACK    SOMEnS    IX    THE    NAVY.  241 

"  Halt ! "  said  one  of  them,  stepping  in  front  of  our 
sailor-boy. 

Jack  did  halt :  he  could  not  well  help  halting,  unless 
he  concluded  to  step  over  the  rebels  in  his  path.  They 
had  been  concealed  behind  a  mound  of  earth,  and  were 
either  watching  for  him,  or  observing  the  movements  of 
the  Middy. 

"  Lay  down  your  arms  !  "  added  the  rebel  speaker, 
elevating  a  musket,  and  taking  aim  at  him. 

Perhaps  Jack  was  reckless ;  on  the  whole,  we  rather 
think  he  was :  for,  instead  of  obeying  the  order,  he  drew 
his  revolver,  and  fired  at  the  soldier  who  addressed  him. 
Of  course,  the  grayback  discharged  his  musket ;  and 
Jack  felt  something  on  his  left  shoulder  very  much  like 
a  saw  drawn  along  the  skin.  But  he  was  not  killed,  —  he 
was  sure  of  this,  —  and  immediately  fired  another  barrel 
of  the  revolver,  which  caused  the  assiduous  rebel  to  drop. 
Yet  Jack  was  sure  he  was  not  killed ;  for  he  heard  him 
swear  after  he  fell. 

There  was  no  time  just  then  to  balance  probabilities  : 
and  our  blue-jacket,  concluding  that  the  rebels  were  in 
force  at  the  earthwork,  decided  to  change  his  base ; 
which  is  always  considered  a  very  difficult  operation  in 
the  midst  of  an  engagement.  In  the  present  instance,  it 
consisted  only  of  wheeling  about,  and  running  away  in 
the  opposite  direction ;  which  has  often  been  the  sum 

16 


242  THE    SAILOR    BOY;    OR, 

and  substance  of  the  same  manoeuvre  when  conducted  on 
a  larger  scale. 

Jack  ran  till  he  came  to  the  mansion,  being  chased  by 
the  uninjured  rebel  of  the  couple.  He  dodged  several 
times,  and  at  last  threw  his  pursuer  off  the  track.  As 
he  doubled  up  under  the  lee  of  the  big  house,  he  saw  a 
cellar-door  open ;  through  which,  as  the  place  looked 
inviting,  he  entered  without  asking  permission. 


JACK    SOMERb    Iff    Tfff   NAVY.  243 


CHAPTER 

THE  PLANTER'S  MANSION. 

E  cellar  into  which  Jack  had  entered  appeared 
to  be  the  storehouse  of  the  plantation  ;  for  it 
was  half  filled  with  boxes  and  barrels,  crates 
and  cases,  with  demijohns,  jugs,  and  canisters- 
In  one  corner,  there  was  a  small  room  partitioned  off 
from  the  rest  of  the  space,  which  our  hero  concluded  was 
the  depository-  for  eatables,  and  for  which  reason  he  was 
very  desirous  of  exploring  it ;  for  it  Avill  be  remembered 
that  the  action  had  been  commenced  on  board  the  Middy 
just  as  the  hands  were  piped  to  dinner.  Jack  had  eaten 
nothing  since  morning ;  and,  as  boys  at  his  age  are  con- 
stitutionally predisposed  to  be  hungry,  he  was  now,  in 
the  middle  of  the  afternoon,  almost  in  a  suffering  con- 
dition. 

He  tried  the  door  of  the  room  in  the  corner  of  the  cel- 
lar ;  but,  to  his  grief,  it  was  locked.  Jack  could  not 
help  thinking  what  a  villanously  bad  practice  it  was  to 
keep  the  pantry  locked ;  but  if  he  had  considered  the 
number  of  working  negroes  on  the  place,  whose  diet  cru- 


244  THE    SAILOR    BOY;    OR, 

sisted  of  a  peck  of  corn  and  a  small  allowance  of  bacon 
per  week,  he  would  have  been  satisfied  with  the  wisdom 
of  the  arrangement,  and,  for  the  sake  of  the  negroes 
aforesaid,  have  been  content  to  remain  hungry  for  the 
present. 

As  he  could  not  find  any  thing  to  eat,  or  even  to 
drink,  — for  the  demijohns  and  jugs  were  either  empty 
or  filled  with  oil  or  vinegar,  —  he  was  obliged  to  stow 
himself  away  among  the  boxes  and  barrels,  to  wait  for  a 
more  convenient  season  to  emerge  from  the  gloom  of  his 
hiding-place.  He  was  alone,  and  there  was  nothing  to 
disturb  his  meditations.  Of  course,  he  could  not  help 
reviewing  the  incidents  of  the  afternoon,  and  wondering 
how  many  of  his  companions  had  been  killed,  wounded, 
and  captured.  As  he  had  no  data  upon  which  to  base 
his  calculations,  his  conclusions  were  not  particularly 
satisfactory.  He  was  almost  certain,  however,  that  Mr. 
Hayswell  was  a  prisoner  ;  but  he  contented  himself  with 
the  thought  that  he  was  no  great  loss  to  the  G-overnment, 
after  his  mismanagement  of  the  affair  of  the  boat-party. 

For  the  want  of  something  better  to  do,  in  the  gloom 
and  silence  of  the  cellar,  he  went  to  sleep  ;  as  almost 
any  sailor  is  apt  to  do,  when  he  has  nothing  to  busy  his 
hands  or  occupy  his  mind.  He  is  "  broke  of  his  rest," 
as  the  elderly  ladies  in  the  country  say ;  and  it  is  just  as 
natural  for  him  to  go  to  sleep  as  it  is  for  him  to  "  splice 
the  main-brace."  Jack  went  to  sleep.  He  had  not  eaten 


JACK    SO  ME  US    IN    THE  NAVY.  245 

any  thing  to  give  him  the  nightmare,  and  his  bed  was 
hard,  cold,  and  uncomfortable.  His  position  was  rather 
cramped ;  and  these  things,  combined,  caused  him  to 
dream. 

An  old  horse,  thin,  spavined,  and  afflicted  with  the 
heaves,  covered  all  over  with  stars  and  bars,  slowly 
came  round,  and  began  making  stern-way  till  his  heels 
were  within  reach  of  the  dreamer.  He  thought  it  was 
about  time  to  retire,  but  found  himself  unable  to  move. 
The  old  horse  deliberately  raised  his  heels,  and  kicked 
him  in  the  head.  He  tried  to  cry  out,  and  tried  to  beat 
a  retreat ;  both  of  which,  for  some  mysterious  reason,  he 
was  unable  to  do.  The  dilapidated  old  nag  continued  to 
pound  away  till  his  head  seemed  to  be  mashed  to  a  jelly  , 
and,  when  it  appeared  to  him  that  the  end  of  all  things 
had  come,  he  waked  up  in  a  violent  perspiration,  trem- 
bling from  head  to  foot  with  the  agony  he  had  endured 
during  his  slumbers 

It  was  as  dark  as  Egypt ;  but  there  was  no  old  horse 
present.  He  felt  around  him,  and  the  boxes  and  barrels 
among  which  he  had  stowed  himself  recalled  his  bewil- 
dered senses,  and  informed  him  where  he  was.  He  rubbed 
his  eyes,  and  renewed  the  vision  which  had  just  faded 
from  his  consciousness.  The  old  horse  was,  without 
doubt,  the  Southern  Confederacy  ;  a  fact  sufficiently  cer- 
tified by  the  stars  and  bars  he  wore.  Jack  could  not 
help  laughing  at  the  sorry  figure  of  the  miserable  crea- 


246  THE    SAILOR    BOY;    OR, 

ture  ;  but,  when  he  thought  what  awful  blows  the  typical 
beast  had  given  him,  he  concluded  that  the  Confederacy, 
though  a  one-horse  affair,  was  not  to  be  despised. 

Jack  had  seen  a  dream-book  on  board  the  Harrisburg ; 
but  what  the  significance  of  dreaming  about  horses,  and 
especially  about  such  a  miserable  beast  as  that  which 
had  occupied  his  slumbering  mind,  might  be,  he  could 
not  tell.  In  truth,  he  had  not  much  faith  in  dreams  ; 
yet  he  could  hardly  escape  the  conclusion,  that  such  a 
remarkable  vision  must  mean  something.  If  not  actually 
a  captive  in  the  hands  of  the  rebels,  he  was  certainly  in 
a  fair  way  of  becoming  such ;  and  he  was  afraid'  the 
dream  foreshadowed  his  own  fate  in  the  hands  of  the 
enemy:  but  he  hoped,  if  he  was  doomed  to  a  rebel 
prison,  that  the  old  horse  would  not  kick  quite  so  hard 
as  he  had  in  his  dream. 

It  was  very  dark  in  the  cellar  now  ;  and  Jack  groped 
his  way  out  from  the  boxes  and  barrels  which  had  con- 
cealed him,  and  felt  his  Avay  in  the  direction  of  the  door 
by  which  he  had  entered.  It  was  closed,  locked,  and 
the  key  removed.  He  could  riot  open  it  by  any  art  or 
device  of  his  fertile  ingenuity ;  and  it  was  patent  to  him 
that  his  retreat  by  the  door  was  cut  off.  But  there  must 
be,  according  to  the  natural  rule  of  architecture,  some 
means  of  getting  into  the  cellar  other  than  from  the  out- 
side of  the  house.  This  was  a  comfortable  reflection  ; 
and  he  groped  about  the  dark  place  till  he  found  the 
stairs  leading  to  the  entry  above. 


JACK    SOMERS    IN    THE    NAVY,  247 

As  A  matter  of  precaution,  he  seated  himself  on  the 
first  step,  and,  while  he  was  listening  for  any  sounds 
which  might  reach  him  from  the  rooms  above,  loaded 
the  two  barrels  of  his  pistol  which  had  been  discharged 
at  the  rebels.  There  were  footsteps  to  be  heard  in  one 
of  the  rooms  over  him ;  but  the  entry  was  apparently 
unoccupied.  When  the  pistol  had  been  prepared  for  use, 
he  cautiously  ascended  the  steps,  opened  the  door,  and 
passed  into  the  principal  hall  of  the  mansion. 

The  front  door  was  now  before  him.  On  each  side 
of  it,  there  was  a  room  opening  into  the  hall.  Jack's 
intention  was  to  pass  out  of  the  house  by  the  main  en- 
tranoe  ;  but,  unfortunately,  one  of  the  doors  at  the  side 
of  it  was  open.  The  room  was  lighted,  and  there  were 
persons  in  it  engaged  in  conversation.  It  was  not  safe 
to  run  the  gantlet  of  this  open  door ;  and  Jack  was 
obliged  to  seek  a  passage  in  some  other  direction,  or 
wait  till  the  parlor-door  should  be  closed. 

To  facilitate  the  ease  and  silence  of  his  movements, 
our  hero  slipped  off  his  shoes  ;  and,  tying  them  together 
by  the  strings,  secured  them  in  his  belt.  Thus  prepared, 
h«  commenced  exploring  the  premises.  There  was  a 
door  in  the  rear  of  the  house ;  but  this  was  locked, 
and  the  key  removed.  Adjoining  the  two  front  rooms, 
there  were  two  other  rooms  ;  one  of  which  Jack  con- 
cluded, from  the  pleasant  odors  saluting  him  in  that 
direction,  was  the  dining-room.  He  looked  iii  ut  the 


248  THE    SAILOR    BOY;    OR, 

key-hole.  The  room  was  lighted,  and  the  table  seemed 
to  he  in  readiness  for  the  family.  There  were  no  serv- 
ants present ;  and  Jack  concluded  that  they  had  gone  to 
the  cook-house,  which  in  the  Southern  States,  our  read- 
ers are  aware,  is  usually  located  at  some  little  distance 
from  the  mansion. 

The  hungry  intruder  ventured  to  open  the  door,  using 
extreme  care  in  the  operation.  On  the  table,  there  were 
a  pair  of  cold  roast  chickens,  ham,  bread,  cake,  and 
other  nice  things,  which  proved  to  be  an  unconquerable 
temptation  to  the  unwelcome  visitor.  Without  cere- 
mony, he  confiscated  one  of  the  chickens  and  a  quantity 
of  bread,  —  soft-tack,  in  the  vernacular  of  the  blue-jack- 
ets ;  and,  his  mouth  watering  at  the  savory  anticipations 
the  feast  excited,  he  beat  a  hasty  but  well-conducted  re- 
treat. 

As  the  hall  was  an  exposed  place,  he  thought  of  re- 
turning to  the  cellar  to  discuss  this  supply  of  viands  ; 
but,  as  he  passed  the  door  of  the  apartment  opposite  the 
dining-room,  he  glanced  through  the  key-hole.  It  was 
not  lighted  ;  and,  with  the  same  care  he  had  before  used, 
he  opened  the  door.  It  was  a  stai-light  evening,  and 
sufficient  light  came  through  the  windows  to  enable  him 
to  see  that  the  room  was  the  planter's  library.  But  he 
had  hardly  entered  the  apartment  before  he  heard  foot- 
steps in  the  hall.  Darting  towards  a  door  which  he 
descried  in  the  dim  light,  he  opened  it,  and  shut  himself 


JACK    SOMERS    IN    THE    NAVY.  249 

iu,  just  as  a  person  entered  from  the  hall.  It  was  as 
dark  as  Erebus  iu  his  new  quarters  ;  but  Jack,  after 
placing  his  pistols  in  a  position  for  instant  service,  felt 
around  him,  and  ascertained  that  he  had  taken  refuge  in 
a  large  closet,  which  contained  stacks  of  old  papers, 
pamphlets,  and  books.  Hanging  on  one  side  were  sun- 
dry articles  of  clothing  ;  but  our  hero  hoped  they  would 
not  be  wanted  till  he  had  departed.  He  had  not  dared 
lo  latch  the  door  behind  him,  lest  the  noise  should  at- 
tract the  attention  of  the  person  who  had  entered.  Push- 
ing it  open  a  little,  he  found  that  the  library  had  been 
lighted  ;  and  the  servant  who  had  performed  this  service 
was  seated  in  an  easy-chair,  occupied  with  his  own  re- 
flections. He  was  a  sleek,  well-fed  negro,  dressed  like 
a  gentleman  ;  and  apparently  had  no  interest  whatever 
in  the  "jubilee"  for  which  the  field-hands  in  the  huts 
were  impatiently  praying. 

The  fellow  was  evidently  waiting  for  the  planter  to 
finish  his  supper  and  take  possession  of  the  library.  He 
sat  there  as  composed  and  contented  as  though  he  had 
been  the  owner  of  the  library.  He  was  certainly  uncon- 
scious that  he  was,  just  at  that  moment,  very  much  in 
Jack's  way ;  for  the  latter  wanted  a  chance  to  open  the 
window,  and  jump  out.  Jack  was  provoked  at  the  indif- 
ference of  the  gentlemanly  servant,  and  even  considered 
the  propriety  of  giving  him  one  of  the  bullets  in  his  re- 
volver :  but  he  rejected  this  suggestion,  as  it  would  havo 


250  THE    SAILOR    JiOY;    OH, 

been  nothing  less  than  nnirder ;  for  the  fellow  was  as 
harmless  as  he  was  fat  and  lazy. 

Then  he  thought  he  would  "appear"  to  the  negro, 
and,  in  the  confusion  which  ensued,  escape  by  the  front 
door ;  but,  as  this  would  subject  him  to  a  pursuit,  he  de- 
cided to  remain  quiet,  even  at  the  risk  of  having  to  stay 
in  the  closet  till  the  planter  had  retired  for  the  night. 
He  concluded,  after  mature  deliberation,  that  this  would 
not  be  a  very  terrible  calamity  ;  for  the  old  horse  of  his 
dreams  could  hardly  reach  him  in  that  comfortable  posi- 
tion. One  thing,  however,  he  regarded  in  the  light  of  a 
calamity ;  and  that  was  his  empty,  gnawing,  rebellious 
stomach,  which  was  protesting  in  its  own  eloquent  lan- 
guage against  the  deprivations  to  which  it  had  been  cru- 
elly subjected  since  seven-bells  in  the  morning-watch. 
Whatever  happened,  he  was  determined  to  attend  to  the 
claims  of  this  discomfited  organ. 

Carefully  pulling  the  door  to,  he  detached  a  wing  from 
the  carcass  of.  the  chicken,  and  devoured  it.  The  drum- 
stick and  second  joint  were  next  depleted  of  every  edible 
particle ;  and,  in  due  time,  the  disintegrated  skeleton  of 
the  fowl  lay  in  a  heap  upon  a  pile  of  pamphlets,  stripped 
as  clean  as  the  buzzards  could  have  picked  it.  The  three 
large  slices  of  bread  also  disappeared,  and  Jack  felt  bet- 
ter. Nothing  was  needed  but  a  cup  of  tea  or  coffee  to 
complete  the  feast.  Perhaps  the  negro  exquisite  in  the 
easy-chair  thought  there  were  rats  in  the  planter's  closet 


JACK    SOMERS    IN    THE    NAVY.  251 

when  he  heard  the  chicken-bones  crack  ;  but,  luckily  for 
Jack,  he  was  too  indolent  to  investigate  the  cause  of  the 
strange  noises. 

Our  hero  felt  perfectly  contented  at  this  point  of  our 
narrative.  I  don't  think  he  would  have  cared  a  straw  if 
the  servant,  or  even  the  master,  had  opened  the  closet 
door  when  he  had  finished  his  supper ;  for  there  is  some- 
thing in  a  full  stomach  which  inspires  confidence.  If  it 
should  ever  be  our  lot  to  become  a  brigadier-general,  we 
should  never  take  our  brigade  into  battle  except  upon  a 
full  stomach.  Jack  again  pushed  the  door  open  a  little, 
so  that  he  could  see  into  the  library.  Suddenly  the  sleek 
black  rose  from  the  easy-chair  as  though  he  had  received 
a  charge  of  electricity  through  his  back-bone,  and  the 
planter  with  another  gentleman  entered  the  apartment. 
Of  course,  the  colored  gentleman  retired. 

"  Have  a  cigar,  Litchfield,"  said  the  planter 

"  Thank'e,"  replied  the  guest ;  for  such  he  appeared 
to  be.  "  I  always  smoke  when  I  get  a  chance." 

"Eh,  Mr.  Litchfield?"  thought  Jack,  when  he  heard 
that  voice,  and  recognized  it  as  belonging  to  Lunsley, 
the  pilot.  "  So  you  change  your  name  as  well  as  your 
colors." 

The  gentlemen  in  the  library  talked  about  the  Rebel- 
lion, and  especially  about  the  affair  of  the  Middy :  and 
Jack  learned  that,  the  first-lieutenant  and  four  of  the  men 
hud  been  captured ;  that  the  others  had  escaped  to  the 


252  THE    SAILOR    EOT;    OR, 

boat,  and  reached  the  steamer,  which  still  lay  at  anchor 
off  the  earthwork. 

"  Well,  I  suppose  it's  about  time  for  me  to  start,"  said 
Litchfield,  alias  Lunsley,  after  they  had  conversed  about 
the  event  for  half  an  hour.  "  But  I  don't  quite  under- 
stand the  cotton  matter  yet." 

The  planter  then  proceeded,  after  closing  the  hall-door, 
and  declaring  that  no  negro  must  hear  a  word  about  the 
business,  to  describe  the  place  where  a  large  steamer, 
loaded  with  cotton,  was  concealed  in  a  bayou  some 
miles  above.  He  was  afraid  the  Union  gunboats  would 
discover  and  appropriate  the  valuable  cargo,  or  that  the 
Confederate  cotton-burners  would  destroy  it.  Between 
these  two  fires,  he  was  terribly  perplexed.  He  had  char- 
tered a  steamer,  and  intended  to  run  his  cotton  up  the 
Red  River,  where  it  would  be  safe  for  the  present. 
Lunsley  agreed  to  pilot  the  boat  up,  and  manage  the 
enterprise. 

"  But  it  must  be  done  to-night.  That  Yankee  gun- 
boat will  have  it  in  the  morning,  if  you  don't,"  said  the 
planter. 

"  It  shall  be  forty  miles  up  the  river  before  daylight," 
replied  the  pilot. 

'"  Perhaps  not !  "  said  Jack  to  himself,  as  the  two  gen- 
tlemen left  the  study. 


JACK    SOMERS    IN    THE   NAVY.  253 


CHAPTER    XXIV. 

A   NIGHT-EXPEDITION. 

ACK  SOMERS  was  troubled  with  a  strong  desire 
to  get  his  hands  upon  that  Mr.  Litchfield,  alias 
Lunsley ;  or,  failing  in  .that,  to  bring  his  pistol  to 
bear  upon  some  vital  part  of  his  corporeal  being. 
The  wretch  was  a  traitor,  and  had  worn  Union  colors  to 
obtain  the  favor  of  the  naval  officers,  that  he  might 
betray  his  trust  into  the  hands  of  his  employers.  It  was 
evident  to  him  now  that  Litchfield  had  never  intended  to 
take  the  Middy  above  this  point ;  for  he  knew  of  the  ex- 
istence of  the  earthwork.  It  was  his  purpose  to  get  her 
aground,  where  the  battery  could  knock  her  to  pieces.  It 
also  looked  very  much  as  though  he  had  come  up  for  the 
purpose  of  taking  charge  of  the  cotton-steamer  which 
the  planter  had  intrusted  to  his  care. 

Jack  waited  but  a  moment,  after  the  gentlemen  had 
left  the  room,  before  he  emerged  from  his  hiding-place ; 
and,  carefully  opening  the  window,  jumped  out  upon  the. 
veranda.  He  took  the  precaution  to  close  the  window, 


254  THE    SAILOR    BOY,     OR, 

that  no  suspicions  might  be  awakened.  He  was  now 
free  :  the  old  horse  had  not  yet  hit  him  on  the  head  ;  and 
lie  was  disposed  to  believe  the  old  adage,  that  dreams  go 
by  contraries.  But  Jack  was  too  wise  a  lad  to  crow 
before  he  had  got  out  of  the  woods. 

The  conversation  between  the  pilot  and  the  planter,  to 
which  he  had  listened,  placed  in  his  possession  some  val- 
uable information,  of  which  he  now  purposed  to  avail 
himself.  The  light-battery  was  still  in  the  vicinity,  and 
a  squad  of  rebels  was  at  the  earthwork  watching  the 
Middy.  Instead,  therefore,  of  going  to  the  point  where 
he  had  lauded,  he  made  his  way  directly  to  the  river, 
hoping  that  he  should  be  able  to  find  a  boat.  He  could 
discover  no  craft  of  any  sort ;  and  was  compelled  to  resort 
to  a  log,  upon  which  he  boldly  put  off. 

The  current  carried  him  down  the  stream,  after  he  had 
pushed  out  from  the  shore ;  and,  when  he  had  rouuded 
the  bend,  he  discovered  the  Middy  at  anchor  on  the  edge 
of  the  shoal.  By  a  vigorous  application  of  the  board  he 
used  as  a  paddle,  he  contrived  to  navigate  the  log  so  as 
to  bring  it  up  under  the  bow  of  the  steamer.  The  watch 
hailed  him;  but  his  well-known  voice  was 'all  that  was 
needed  to  secure  him  assistance  in  getting  on  board. 

"  Why,  Jack,  my  darling  !  "  cried  Tom  Longstone, 
the  veteran  threw  his  arms  around  him,  "  I  guv  you  uj 
for  lost !  " 

"  I'm  all  right,  Tom.     Who's  officer  of  the  deck?" 


JACK    SOMERS    IN    THE    NAVY.  255 

"  Mr.  Dickey,  up  there,"  replied  Tom,  pointing  to  the 
hurricane-deck. 

"  Come  on  board,  sir,"  added  Jack,  touching  his  cap 
to  Mr.  Dickey.  "  If  you  please,  sir,  I  would  like  to  see 
the  captain." 

"  Come  up,  then." 

"  Where  away  now,  Jack,  my  dear?  Can't  you  tell  us 
any  thing  about  it  ?  " 

"  Not  now,  Tom  ;  there'll  be  more  fun  by  and  by  :  but 
don't  say  a  word,"  whispered  Jack  as  he  ascended  to  the 
hurricane-deck. 

"  So  you  got  off,  Somers  ! "  said  Mr.  Dickey  with  a 
degree  of  condescension  which  was  indeed  quite  remark- 
able. 

"Yes,  sir  :  I  stowed  myself  away  in  a  dark  place  till 
night,  and  then  came  off." 

"  Have  you  seen  Mr.  Hayswell?" 

"  No,  sir :  he  was  taken,  and  they  have  sent  him  off 
somewhere.  If  you  please,  sir,  I  would  like  to  see  the 
captain  about  something  of  great  importance." 

"  The  captain  !  I'm  acting  first-lieutenant  of  this  ship  : 
and  you  are  aware  that  all  communications  must  pass 
through  me,"  added  Mr.  Dickey  with  sublime  impor- 
tance. 

"  I  beg  your  honor's  pardon,"  added  Jack  with  a  clever 
stroke  of  policy.  "  There's  something  to  be  done  right 
off;  and  I  only  wanted  to  save  time." 


256  THE    SAILOR    EOT;    OR, 

"  State  your  business  to  me  at  once,  then,"  continued 
the  acting  first-lieutenant  of  the  Middy. 

Fortunately,  however,  Mr.  Dickey's  high  flight  was 
disturbed  by  the  appearance  of  Captain  Bankhead  him- 
self, who  at  once  recognized  Jack,  dark  as  it  was. 

"  Somers  !  "  exclaimed  he,  greatly  astonished. 

"  Come  on  board,  sir,"  answered  Jack,  touching  his 
cap. 

"  But  you  were  captured?  " 

"•  No,  sir  :  not  quite.     I  came  very  near  it." 

"  Come  into  the  wheel-house,  and  tell  me  all  about  it," 
added  Captain  Baiikhead,  leading  the  way. 

Jack  told  his  story  as  rapidly  as  possible,  including 
that  part  relating  to  the  cotton-steamer.  The  latter 
portion  of  the  narrative  was  particularly  interesting  to 
Captain  Bankhead,  who  was  much  dispirited  by  the  loss 
of  his  first-lieutenant  and  five  men  ;  for  it  now  appeared 
that  one  had  been  killed  in  the  boat.  The  capture  of  the 
steamer,  laden  with  cotton,  would  heal  his  wounded 
pride,  and  enable  him  to  return  to  the  fleet  with  flying 
colors. 

Mr.  Dickey  was  called  in  ;  and  Jack  stated  with  great 
care  all  the  particulars  in  relation  to  the  cotton-steamer. 
The  captain  proposed  at  once  to  get  up  his  anchor,  and 
hasten  to  the  mouth  of  the  bayou  where  the  boat  was 
concealed. 

"I  beg  your  honor's  pardon,"  interposed  Jack  very 


JACK    SO  HERS    IN    THE   NAVY.  257 

reverently ;  "  but  the  battery  is  on  duty  somewhere 
about  here,  and  men  are  watching  the  steamer  from  the 
earthwork." 

"  Very  good,  Jack,"  said  the  captain  with  a  smile. 
"  You  are  right.  If  you  have  any  suggestions  to  make, 
I  will  hear  them ;  for  I  find  you  have  got  a  long  head 
for  so  small  a  body." 

"  I  think  the  first  cutter,  with  a  howitzer  and  twenty 
men,  would  do  the  business  in  first-rate  style,"  replied 
Jack. 

"  But,  Somers,  you  must  be  used  up  after  such  a  hard 
day's  work." 

"  Not  at  all,  sir :  I  am  as  fresh  as  though  I  had  just 
come  out  of  my  hammock." 

"  Because  you  must  go  in  the  boat,  if  we  conclude  to 
take  the  steamer  in  that  manner." 

"  I  am  all  ready,  sir." 

' '  Mr.  Dickey,  clear  away  the  first  cutter,  and  have  a 
howitzer  ready  for  her  !  "  added  the  captain. 

The  commander  of  the  Middy  seemed  to  be  much 
troubled  when  his  little  first-lieutenant  had  gone  to  exe- 
cute the  order.  He  did  not  speak  for  some  time  ;  and,  as 
it  was  not  proper  to  submit  his  doubts  to  a  quartermaster, 
we  must  add  that  the  want  of  a  suitable  officer  to  conduct 
the  expedition  was  the  occasion  of  his  perplexity.  Mr. 
Dickey  was  the  only  officer  who  was  available  for  the 


258  THE    SAILOR    BOY;    OR, 

important  duty,  and  it  was  not  proper  that  the  captain 
should  go  himself. 

Mr.  Dickey  was  young,  brave,  and  smart  in  a  double 
sense  ;  but  he  was  hardly  qualified  to  execute  so  diffi- 
cult an  undertaking.  Captain  Bankhead  had  seen  one 
expedition  fail  for  want  of  discretion  on  the  part  of  an 
officer ;  and  he  was  very  much  inclined  to  leave  Mr. 
Dickey  in  charge  of  the  Middy,  and  perform  the  duty 
himself.  This  plan  was  rejected  ;  for  the  steamer  her- 
self might  be  captured  in  his  absence.  There  was  no 
alternative  but  to  commit  the  charge  of  the  expedition  to 
Mr.  Dickey  ;  and  accordingly  that  little  officer  was  duly 
instructed  for  the  purpose. 

The  best  men  on  board  were  detailed  to  form  his  crew, 
all  of  them  armed  to  the  teeth.  Mr.  Dickey  was  sol- 
emnly charged  to  be  prudent,  and  to  act  with  vigor  and 
determination.  The  chief-engineer  was  ordered  to  go  in 
the  boat,  as  his  services  would  be  required  in  case  the 
enterprise  should  be  successful.  Mr.  Dickey  was  directed 
to  consult  with  him  in  any  emergency. 

Captain  Bankhead  had  decided  to  make  a  demonstra- 
tion with  the  Middy  in  order  to  cover  up  the  movements 
of  the  boat-party.  The  anchor  was  Aveighed,  and  she 

stood  over  to  the  other  side  of  the  river,  where,  xinder 

• 
the  shadow  of  the  high  bank,  the  boat  cast  oif,  and  pulled 

up  the  river  with  muffled  oars.  The  Middy  was  then 
headed  down  the  river  ;  and  those  who  were  watching  no 


JACK    SOMERS    IN    THE   NAVY,  259 

doubt  congratulated  themselves  that  they  had  driven  her 
off. 

Curled  up  in  the  bow  of  the  cutter,  Jack  Somers  re- 
lated his  adventures  to  Tom  Longstone,  who  was  one  of 
the  party.  He  spoke  in  whispers  ;  and  Tom  did  not 
speak  at  all,  so  deeply  was  he  absorbed  in  the  exciting 
story. 

The  oarsmen  pulled  for  two  hours  against  the  current, 
when  she  was  in  the  vicinity  of  the  bayou  Avhere  the  cot- 
ton-steamer lay.  Of  course,  none  of  the  party  knew 
precisely  where  to  find  the  mouth  of  the  stream  they 
were  to  ascend.  Jack  Somers  was  in  the  bow  of  the 
cutter,  on  the  lookout  for  any  thing  like  an  opening  in 
the  bank  of  the  river.  The  boat  still  kept  under  the 
shadow  of  the  left  bank  of  the  river ;  and  Mr.  Dickey 
had  carefully  observed  his  instructions  to  preserve  entire 
silence. 

While  Jack  was  on  the  watch,  straining  his  eyes  to 
find  the  bayou,  he  discovered  a  light  on  the  opposite 
shore  ;  and,  when  the  boat  had  advanced  a  little  farther, 
he  clearly  discerned  the  opening  for  which  he  had  been 
in  search.  But  the  light  was  ominous.  It  was  clearly 
a  lantern  in  the  hands  of  a  man,  as  its  occasional  motion 
plainly  showed. 

Jack  Somers  promptly  concluded  that  the  light  meant 
something,  and  that  it  was  some  kind  of  a  signal  for  the 
cotton-steamer.  As  the  man  who  carried  it  could  not 


2*60  THE    SAILOR    BOY;    OR, 

.possibly  have  seen  the  cutter,  the  meaning  of  the  light 
was  easily  read.  The  signal-man  had,  of  course,  been 
instructed  to  show  the  light  if  there  was  nothing  to  inter- 
fere with  the  passage  of  the  cotton-boat. 

Our  hero  saw  that  this  was  delicate  business  to  man- 
age, and  he  was  very  much  afraid  that  Mr.  Dickey  would 
spoil  every  thing  by  his  self-sufficiency.  He  had  a  sug- 
gestion ;  but  he  hardly  dared  to  offer  it,  lest  it  should  be 
rejected :  but  there  was  no  time  to  spare ;  for  the  cutter 
was  now  passing  the  bayou. 

Creeping  aft  between  the  oarsmen,  he  touched  his  cap 
in  the  darkaess,  and  "  begged  his  honor's  pardon ;  but 
there  was  a  light  on  the  bank." 

"What  of  it?"  demanded  Mr.  Dickey. 

"  Here's  the  place,  your  honor,"  added  Jack  in  a  whis- 
per. "  There  is  a  man  with  a  light  on  the  bank.  If 
your  honor  will  please  to  order  the  men  to  lie  on  their 
oars." 

Mr.  Dickey  did  give  the  order ;  for  he  had  been  sub- 
missively addressed  as  "  your  honor  ;  "  and  nothing  more 
than  that  could  possibly  be  expected  of  a  quartermaster. 
Jack  then  explained  the  probable  meaning  of  the  light, 
and  hinted,  in  a  very  respectful  but  roundabout  way,  that 
the  man  who  carried  it  must  be  disposed  of  before  the 
boat  entered  the  bayou.  He  did  not  say  this  in  so  many 
words  ;  and,  happily,  Mr.  Dickey  did  not  take  offence  at 
the  suggestion. 


JACK    SOMERS    IN    THE    NAVY.  261 

"  We  will  pull  over  to  the  other  side,  and  land  a  cou- 
ple of  men,  who  can  silence  him,  and  keep  the  signal 
flying,"  said  Mr.  Dickey,  who  fully  believed  that  he  had 
given  utterance  to  an  original  idea,  so  carefully  had  Jack 
worded  his  hint. 

The  boat  dropped  down  stream  about  half  a  mile,  and 
then  crossed  over.  Jack  begged  permission  to  be  one  of 
the  two  men  who  were  to  execute  the  important  duty  of 
capturing  the  signal-man  ;  adding,  that  it  would  enable 
him  to  verify  some  of  the  information  he  had  obtained 
on  shore.  Mr.  Dickey  was  graciously  pleased  to  grant 
his  request,  for  the  reason  stated  ;  and,  when  a  signal  for 
the  boat  to  approach  had  been  agreed  upon,  he  landed 
with  his  companion. 

"  Have  you  got  your  pipe  with  you,  Eaymond?"  asked 
Jack  as  they  touched  the  bank. 

"  Of  course  I've  got  my  pipe.  D'ye  want  to  smoke, 
Jack?" 

"  No,  I  never  smoke."  And  Jack  proceeded  to  ex- 
plain his  plan  to  his  shipmate. 

A  fifteen-minutes'  walk  brought  them  to  the  junction 
of  the  bayou  with  the  main  river,  where  they  found  the 
signal-man. 

"Has  that  boat  come  down  yet?"  demanded  Jack, 
pointing  up  the  bayou. 

"  What  boat?"  replied  the  man. 

"  That  cotton-boat :  we  are  going  up  in  her." 


262  THE    SAILOR    BOY;    OR, 

"  She  hain't  come  down  yet.  Why  don't  you  go  up 
•where  she  is,  if  you  are  goin'  in  her?" 

"  Didn't  know  where  to  find  her.  Come  along,  Ray- 
mond :  we  shall  find  her  now  easy  enough,"  added  Jack 
as  he  moved  off. 

"Avast  a  minute  till  I  light  my  pipe  by  this  'ere 
lantern,"  replied  Raymond  as  he  had  been  instructed. 
"  Lend  us  your  glim  a  moment." 

"  You'll  put  it  out." 

"  No,  I  won't." 

The  signal-man  permitted  him  to  take  the  lantern  : 
whereupon  Jack  sprang  upon  him,  and  bore  him  to  the 
ground.  The  movement  was  so  sudden,  that  he  had  no 
chance  to  resist.  Raymond  came  to  Jack's  assistance  ; 
placing  his  pistol  at  the  fellow's  temple,  which  caused 
him  to  beg  for  his  life.  With  a  rope  which  had  been 
brought  for  the  purpose  they  tied  him  hand  and  foot, 
and  fastened  him  tp  a  tree. 

Jack  assured  the  unfortunate  rebel  that  he  should  not 
be  harmed,  if  he  made  no  noise  ;  but  he  instructed  Ray- 
mond to  shoot  him  if  lie  opened  his  mouth  or  attempted 
to  escape.  Our  hero  then  took  the  lantern,  and  waved 
it  three  times,  —  which  was  the  signal  for  the  boat  to 
advance  ;  then  giving  it  to  his  companion,  who  was  to 
remain,  he  hastened  down  to  the  water  to  board  the  cut- 
ter as  she  entered  the  bayou. 


JACK    SQMERS    IN    THE    NAVY.  263 


CHAPTER    XXV. 

THE  CAPTURE  OF  THE  KENSHAW. 

'ACK  SOMERS  sat  down  on  a  log  at  the  mouth 
of  the  bayou  to  await  the  arrival  of  the  cutter. 
He  was  entirely  satisfied  with  what  had  beeu 
done  thus  far,  and  every  thing  was  certainly 
working  right ;  but  he  would  have  felt  much  safer  in 
regard  to  the  future  if  such  a  man  as  Mr.  Granger  had 
been  in  command  of  the  expedition.  Mr.  Dickey  was 
no  older  than  himself,  and  had  a  higher  respect  for  his 
own  personal  dignity  than  for  any  thing  else.  Any  indis- 
cretion might  ruin  the  Avhole  affair,  and  return  the  party 
to  the  Middy  empty-handed  and  crest-fallen.  Jack  hoped 
for  the  best ;  and,  when  the  boat  appeared,  he  jumped 
on  board,  aad  reported  to  Mr.  Dickey  the  success  of  his 
mission. 

"  Very  well,   Somers.      You  have  benaved  yourself 
with  great  gallantry,  and  I  shall  take  occasion  to  report 
your  good  conduct  to  the  captain,"  replied  Mr.  Dickey. 
"  Thank  your  honor,"  added  Jack,  removing  his  cap, 


264  THE    SAILOR    BOY;    OR, 

though  he  could  not  help  "laughing  in  his  sleeve"  at  the 
magnificent  bearing  of  the  young  officer. 

4 'It  is  a  great  satisfaction  to  an  officer  to  have  men, 
upon  whom  he  can  rely,  when  difficult  and  dangerous 
service  is  to  be  performed,"  continued  Mr.  Dickey, 
addressing  the  engineer. 

"  Yes,  sir,"  responded  that  officer,  —  a  man  of  forty, 
who  had  seen  more  service  before  Mr.  Dickey  was  born 
than  the  latter  had  ever  performed. 

Jack  Somers  resumed  his  position  in  the  bow  of  tke 
boat,  on  the  lookout  now  for  the  cotton-steamer.  After 
the  expedition  had  proceeded  a  couple  of  miles  or  more, 
a  second  lantern  was  discovered  on  shore,  which  was  evi- 
dently another  signal  for  the  pilot.  Jack  reported  the 
fact  to  Mr.  Dickey ;  and  that  gentleman  was  by  this 
time  so  well  trained,  that  he  knew  exactly  what  to  do. 
Our  hero  and  another  man  were  ordered  to  land,  and 
secure  the  signal-man.  The  work  was  accomplished, 
and  the  lantern  hung  upon  a  branch  of  a  tree  ;  for  Jack 
concluded  that  another  man  could  not  be  spared  for  such 
inactivity  as  simply  holding  a  lantern. 

This  signal  was  displayed  at  a  bend  in  the  bayou  ;  and, 
when  the  cutter  came  up  to  the  curve,  the  blazing  fires 
of  the  cotton-steamer  were  discovered  at  the  distance  of 
less  than  half  a  mile.,  Mr.  Dickey  at  once  became  ex- 
cited by  the  brilliant  prospect  before  him.  A  smart 
dash,  and  the  valuable  prize  would  be  his  own ;  and 


JACK    SOMEXS    IX    THE    NAVY.  265 

what  a  joy  it  would  be  to  report  the  success  of  his 
mission !  » 

"  Give  way,  my  lads  ! "  said  Mr.  Dickey,  warming  up 
with  the  enthusiasm  of  the  moment. 

"  He'll  spoil  the  whole  of  it ! "  groaned  Jack  in  the 
ear  of  Tom  Longstone.  "  We  shall  have  to  sneak  back 
like  whipped  chickens  !  " 

"  Why,  no,  my  darling.  We  can  board  her,  and  carry 
her  decks  at  one  pull,"  whispered  Tom. 

"  We  may  do  that ;  but  the  rebels  will  set  the  prize  on 
fire,  disable  her  engine,  and  run  her  aground,  or  some- 
thing of  that  sort,  as  soon  as  they  see  us  coming.  We 
ought  to  pounce  upon  them  like  cats,  when  they  are  not 
thinking." 

"  Here  comes  the  engineer,"  added  Tom  as  Mr.  Gor- 
don came  forward  to  obtain  a  better  view  of  the  scene  of 
operations. 

Jack  ventured  to  suggest  to  him  what  he  had  just  said 
to  Tom ;  and  the  engineer  volunteered  to  open  the  sub- 
ject to  Mr.  Dickey.  The  result  was  that  the  men  were 
ordered  to  lie  on  their  oars.  The  boat  was  then  moved 
into  a  recess  in  the  bank,  where  it  was  concealed  by 
overhanging  bushes. 

"  Now,  my  lads,"  said  Mr.  Dickey,  when  he  had 
placed  the  boat  to  his  satisfaction,  "  I  expect  every  mau 
to  do  his  duty.  We  shall  board  that  steamer  as  she 
comes  down,  and  carry  her  in  the  twinkling  of  an  eye." 

"Ay,  ay,  sir !  "  replied  the  crew  in  a  low  tone. 


26G  THE    SAILOR    BOY;    OR, 

"  Silence,  men  !  " 

The  cotton-steamer  was  now  in  motion.  The  signal- 
lantern  at  the  bend  below  assured  her  pilot  that  every 
thing  was  ready,  and  she  came  forward  very  slowly. 
Her  great  furnaces,  which  were  opened  occasionally  when 
the  firemen  threw  in  wood,  cast  a  broad  glare  upon  the 
dark  waters  of  the  bayou.  Every  heart  in  the  cutter 
was  beating  wild  with  expectation  as  she  advanced.  She 
Avas  now  within  a  few  rods  of  the  boat.  Her  forward- 
deck  was  but  a  few  inches  above  the  surface  of  the  water, 
presenting  a  most  inviting  prospect  for  a  boarding-party. 

"All  ready,  my  lads  !  "  said  Mr.  Dickey  in  a  low  tone. 
"  Give  way  ! ' 

The  boat  dashed  forward  ;  and  Jack,  with  the  painter 
in  his  hand,  leaped  on  board,  and  made  it  fast  to  a  cleat 
'on  the  forecastle.  Tom  Longstone  was  by  his  side  ;  and, 
as  Mr.  Dickey  had  not  thought  to  makr>.  a  particular  dis- 
tribution of  his  characters  for  the  exciting  drama  which 
was  now  acting,  the  two  quartermasters,  animated  prob- 
ably by  the  instinct  of  their  profession,  rushed  up  the 
stairs  to  the  boiler-deck,  and  thence  to  the  hurricane- 
deck  ;  from  which  Jack,  outstripping .  his  companion, 
bounded  into  the  wheel-house,  where,  with  pistol  in 
hand,  he  .confronted  the  astonished  Litchfield,  alias 
Lunsley. 

"  Surrender,  or  you  are  a  dead  man  !  "  shouted  Jack. 

"Who  are  you?"  demanded  the  pilot  w'th  a  horrid 
oath. 


JACK    SOAIERS    IN    THE    NAVY.  267 

"Do  you  surrender?  or  shall  I  blow  your  brains 
out?"  yelled  Jack,  as  Tom  Longstoue  tumbled  into  the 
wheel-house. 

At  this  moment,  the  boat  stopped  ;  for  Mr.  Gordon,  the 
engineer,  had  prudently  taken  possession  of  the  machin- 
ery as  soon  as  he  came  on  board,  to  prevent  the  pilot 
from  running  the  boat  aground. 

"  Mind  the  helm,  Jack,  and  I'll  settle  this  'ere  chap," 
said  Tom,  as  he  approached  the  pilot,  and  thrust  his  pis- 
tol in  his  face. 

"  Who  are  you?"  growled  Lunsley,  retreating  into  the 
corner  of  the  wheel-house. 

"  I'll  larn  ye  who  I  am,  you  black-hearted  traitor !  " 
added  Tom,  as  he  seized  him  by  the  collar. 

"  Hands  off,  my  old  joker  !  "  replied  the  pilot,  shaking 
off  his  grasp  ;  for  he  was  a  powerful  man. 

"All  right,  my  hearty  !  If  you  don't  surrender  like  a 
Christian,  I'll  send  you  down  to  Davy  Jones  !  " 

Tom  evidently  intended  to  put  a  pistol-ball  through  his 
head  ;  but  Jack  begged  him  not  to  cheat  the  gallows  of 
its  due.  After  some  further  parley,  Lunsley  concluded 
to  surrender,  and  gave  up  his  pistols,  which  he  had  had 
no  opportunity  to  take  from  his  pockets  He  was  handed 
over  to  a  couple  of  marines,  and  secured  in  a  safe  place. 

The  cotton-steamer  had  now  come  to  a  dead  stand. 
All  the  white  men  on  board  had  been  secured,  including 
the  captain,  mate,  clerk,  engineers,  and  two  pilots.  The 


268  THE    SAILOR    BOY;    OR, 

firemen  were  negroes ;  and,  being  by  nature  loyal,  they 
were  not  molested. 

"  Our  victory  is  complete,"  said  Mr.  Dickey,  who  had 
now  made  his  way  to  the  wheel-house. 

"  I  beg  your  honor's  pardon,"  said  Jack  ;  "  but  there's 
a  battery  of  artillery  on  shore,  and  we  had  better  not 
stay  up  here  too  long." 

"  I  don't  ask  your  advice,  quartermaster,"  replied  the 
commander  of  the  expedition. 

"  I  beg  your  honor's  pardon,"  added  Jack  with  be- 
coming humility. 

Mr.  Dickey  walked  down  the  hurricane-deck,  and 
back,  and  then  returned  to  the  wheel-house. 

"  Strike  one  bell,  quartermaster  !  "  added  he. 

Jack  obeyed  the  order,  and  the  steamer  started. 

"  Will  your  honor  please  to  give  me  the  course  I  am 
to  steer  ?  "  asked  Jack  meekly. 

"  Down  the  stream,  of  course  ! "  replied  Mr.  Dickey 
nervously. 

"  I  am  no  pilot,  sir,  for  these  waters  ;  and  she  may 
stick  hard  and  fast  before  we  go  ahead  five  fathoms." 

"  Strike  two  bells,  quartermaster  !  " 

"  Two  bells,  sir  !  "  repeated  Jack. 

"  We  have  no  pilot,  certainly,"  said  Mr.  Dickey  more 
nervously  ;  "  but  we  must  go  ahead." 

"  If  your  honor  would  send  the  boat  ahead  to  sound, 
we  could  work  her  down  very  well,"  suggested  Jack, 


JACK   SOMEES   IN    THE   NAVY.  ?69 

when  he  saw  that  the  accomplished  Mr.  Dickey  was  ab- 
solutely at  his  wits'  end  for  an  expedient. 

The  commander  was  graciously  pleased  to  adopt  this 
plan  ;  and  Tom  Longstone  was  ordered  to  take  one  of 
the  steamer's  lanterns,  and  sound  out  the  channel  in  the 
boat.  The  veteran  quartermaster  took  the  lead  from  the 
forecastle,  and  proceeded  to  execute  the  order. 

Mr.  Dickey  placed  himself  at  Jack's  side  at  the  wheel, 
and  the  steamer  went  ahead  again.  Her  progi'ess  was 
necessarily  very  slow  :  but  the  lantern  in  the  cutter  was 
a  safe  guide  ;  and,  in  due  time,  she  reached  the  mouth  of 
the  bayou.  The  boat  was  then  recalled,  Raymond  taken 
on  board,  and  the  steamer  emerged  into  the  great  river. 
The  commander  was  relieved  from  his  nervous  anxiety, 
and  his  remarks  became  more  brilliant,  though  he  dis- 
played less  of  the  self-sufficiency  of  his  nature  than  might 
have  been  expected  under  the  circumstances.  The  events 
of  the  night  had  inspired  him  with  no  small  degree  of 
respect  for  Quartermaster  Somers,  and  he  was  less 
haughty  than  on  former  occasions. 

The  cotton-steamer  had  proceeded  but  a  short  distance 
down  the  river  before  the  Middy  was  discovered  steam- 
ing up.  It  is  quite  likely  that  Captain  Bankhead  suf- 
fered a  great  deal  during  the  absence  of  the  expedition, 
from  anxiety  for  the  safety  of  his  men.  The  appearance 
of  the  prize  must  have  been  a  great  relief  to  him  ;  for  it 


270  THE    SAILOR    BOY;    OR, 

removed  from  his  mind  a  burden  equal  in  weight  to  the 
whole  cargo  of  cotton. 

The  Middy  ran  up  alongside  the  Kenshaw,  —  which 
was  the  cotton-steamer's  name,  —  after  hailing  her,  and 
learning  that  she  was  indeed  the  expected  prize. 

"  Captain  Bankhead,  I  have  the  honor  to  report  the 
entire  success  of  the  expedition,"  said  Mr.  Dickey,  as  he 
stepped  on  board  the  Middy. 

"  I  congratulate  you  upon  your  success,  Mr,  Dickey," 
replied  the  captain,  grasping  the  hand  of  the  proud  and 
happy  young  officer.  "  I  have  been  trembling  for  you 
every  moment  since  your  departure." 

"  I  am  happy  to  say,  sir,  that  every  thing  has  worked 
to  my  entire  satisfaction.  The  men  behaved  themselves 
with  great  discretion  and  gallantry ;  and  I  would  par- 
ticularly recommend  Quartermaster  Somers  to  your 
favor." 

"  Somers  again  !  "  laughed  Captain  Bankhead.    • 

"  He  conducted  himself  with  remarkable  skill  and  gal- 
lantry, sir ;  and  his  conduct  merits  my  entire  approba- 
tion. I  take  great  pleasure  in  reporting  his  excellent 
conduct  to  you,  sir ;  and  trust  that  his  merit  will  not  be 
overlooked." 

"  It  shall  not  be,  Mr.  Dickey.  He  shall  be  particu- 
larly mentioned  in  my  despatch  to  the  flag-officer,"  re- 
plied the  captain,  who  could  hardly  help  laughing  at  the 
high-flown  speech  of  Mr.  Dickey. 


JACK    SOMEnS    IN    THE    NAVY.  271 

The  Kenshaw  was  ran  up  to  the  bank  of  the  river, 
and  moored  to  a  tree ;  for  Captain  Baukhead  did  not 
think  it  prudent  to  start  for  New  Orleans  without  a  pilot. 
The  Middy  came  to  anchor  in  a  position  where  she  could 
defend  her  from  any  attack  from  the  shore. 

Litchfield,  the  pilot,  had  been  put  in  irons,  and  con- 
veyed on  board  the  Middy.  He  was  silent  and  sullen, 
refusing  to  answer  any  questions  put  to  him  by  the  cap- 
tain. In  the  morning,  however,  he  appeared  to  be  more 
tractable,  and  expressed  his  regret  for  his  past  conduct. 

"  I'm  true  to  the  Gover'ment,  cap'n,  and  have  been 
from  the  beginning,"  said  he. 

"And  for  that  reason  you  attempted  to  destroy  my 
vessel !  " 

"  No,  sir  :  I  only  wanted  to  get  that  steamer  out,  and 
take  her  down  to  New  Orleans.  Yon  haven't  any  pilot 
on  board  now,  cap'n  ;  and,  if  you  will  only  trust  me,  I'll 
take  the  Kenshaw  down  for  you,  and  prove  that  I'm  a 
true  man." 

"  Very  well :  I  will  trust  you,"  replied  Captain  Bank- 
head. 

"  You  will  find  that  I'm  all  right." 

The  pilot's  irons  were  taken  off,  and  he  was  ordered 
into  the  boat.  Mr.  Dickey  Avas  appointed  to  the  com- 
mand of  the  Kenshaw  as  prize-master,  and  Jack  was  to 
go  in  her  as  wheelman.  Captain  Bankhead  accompa- 
nied the  party  to  the  steamer ;  and,  on  boarding  her, 


272  THE  SAILOR   nor,   on, 

proceeded  at  once  to  the  wheel-house,  followed  by  Luns- 
ley. Two  marines,  armed  with  muskets  and  pistols, 
•were  placed  in  the  apartment. 

"  Somers,"  said  the  captain,  "  you  will  remain  at  the 
wheel  during  the  passage  down.  The  pilot  will  give  you 
your  steering  directions.  If  the  boat  gets  aground,  you 
will  immediately  order  the  marines  to  shoot  him  !  " 

"Ay,  ay,  sir,"  replied  Jack. 

"  You  needn't  take  all  that  trouble,  cap'n.  I  shall  do 
my  duty,  honor  bright,"  added  Lunsley. 

"You  have  a  strong  inducement  for  doing  it,"  an- 
swered the  captain  as  he  left  the  wheel-house. 

Mr.  Dickey  gave  his  orders,  and  the  great  furnaces 
of  the  Kenshaw  blazed  with  renewed  vigor.  The  fasts 
were  cast  off,  and  the  steamer  commenced  her  downward 
trip  to  New  Orleans.  The  Middy  kept  close  astern  of 
her,  with  her  guns  shotted  in  readiness  to  defend  her  in 
case  of  an  attack. 

Jack  Somers  kept  his  station  at  the  wheel-house  for 
seven  long  hours,  his  breakfast  and  dinner  being  brought 
up  to  him.  Lunsley  said  very  little  on  the  passage.  He 
was  apparently  studying  his  chances  to  escape  from  the 
strong  grip  which  held  him  in  abeyance :  but  there  sat 
the  marines,  pistol  in  hand,  during  the  entire  trip  ;  and 
certain  death  was  the  penalty  of  even  a  suspicion  of 
treachery. 

At  one  o'clock,  the  Kenshaw  made  her  landing  at  the 


JACK    SOMERS    IN    THE    NAVY.  273 

Levee  in  New  Orleans.  The  pilot  was  immediately  de- 
livered over  to  General  Butler  for  safe  keeping ;  and 
Jack,  Avho  had  not  slept  a  wink  during  the  preceding 
night,  appropriated  the  captain's  stateroom  to  his  own 
use,  and  turned  ia 
18 


274  THE    SAILOR    BOY;    OH, 


CHAPTER    XXVI. 

THE    UNION   REFUGEES. 

FOUR-HOURS'  nap  renovated  Jack's  exhausted 
frame  ;  and  he  .was  ready  to  take  another  job 
of  piloting,  if  one  had  presented.  Towards 
evening,  Captain  Baukhead  visited  the  prize ; 
and  one  of  the  boat's  crew  handed  Jack  a  letter  from 
home.  It  was  a  joyous  missive  ;  for  it  contained  the 
intelligence  of  his  father's  escape  from  the  rebels,  and 
his  return  to  Pinchbrook.  On  the  last  page  were  a  few 
lines  written  in  the  well-known  heavy  hand  of  Captain 
Somers,  in  which  he  encouraged  his  sou  to  do  his  duty 
to  the  country  faithfully,  and  to  stand  by  the  old  flag  to 
the  last.  The  old  gentleman  declared  his  intention  of 
going  into  the  navy  in  SOKIC  capacity,  as  soon  as  he  had 
recovered  from  the  effects  of  his  campaign  in  Virginia. 

The  letter  also  contained  tidings  from  "  Tom  Somers 
in  the  Army,"  who  had  been  promoted  to  the  rank  of 
sergeant  for  meritorious  conduct.  The  people  in  Pinch- 
brook  were  all  well,  and  every  thing  was  in  a  prosperous 
condition  at  the  cottage. 


JACK    SOMERS    IN    THE    NAVY.  275 

"  All  right !  "  said  Jack,  as  he  folded  up  the  letter,  and 
put  it  iu  his  pocket,  to  be  read  over  and  over  again. 
"  They  shall  hear  from  me  one  of  these  days.  Well, 
God  bless  the  old  gentleman !  He  is  one  of  the  right 
sort,  and  ought  to  have  the  command  of  one  of  these 
gunboats.  I  suppose  little  Dickey,  who  don't  know 
enough  to  go  into  the  house  when  it  rains,  could  get  a 
vessel  as  quick  again  as  my  father,  who  has  tumbled 
about  on  the  ocean  all  his  lifetime." 

Mr.  Dickey  obtained  a  great  deal  of  credit  for  the  skil- 
ful manner  in  which  he  had  brought  in  the  Kenshaw ; 
and  there  was  a  strong  probability  that  he  would  be  pro- 
moted for  his  good  conduct  on  that  occasion.  The.  facts 
in  the  case  were  not  explained.  Tom  Longstone  could 
not  tell  the  captain,  that,  if  it  had  not  been  for  Jack's 
suggestions,  the  whole  affair  must  have  been  a  failui'e. 
Mr.  Gordon,  the  engineer,  might  have  said  so ;  but  he 
was  a  prudent  man,  and  minded  his  own  business.  Prob- 
ably it  was  just  as  well  that  nothing  of  the  kind  was  said  ; 
for  Mr.  Dickey's  faults  were  those  which  age  would  cor- 
rect. He  was  a  good  fellow  with  his  equals,  and  was 
as  brave  as  a  lion  in  the  presence  of  his  country's  foes. 

The  crew  of  the  prize-steamer  were  sent  on  board  the 
Middy  on  the  day  after  her  arrival,  with  a  fine  prospect 
before  them  of  pocketing  a  very  handsome  allowance  of 
prize-money,  after  the  Kenshaw  and  her  cargo  had  passed 
through  all  the  meshes  of  red-tape  with  which  the  law 
surrounds  a  naval  prize. 


276  THE    SAILOR    HOY;    OR, 

The  little  steamer  was  repaired  and  strengthened  where 
she  had  been  found  to  be  weak ;  and,  at  the  expiration  of 
a  fortnight,  she  was  ready  for  another  cruise.  An  addi- 
tion was  made  to  her  crew.  Mr.  Hay  swell's  place  was 
supplied  by  Mr.  McBride,  the  fourth-Lieutenant  of  the 
Harrisburg ;  and  a  pilot  of  known  loyalty  was  put  on 
board.  Thus  prepared,  the  little  Middy  again  sailed 
upon  a  cruise  up  the  river.  This  time  she  attended  the 
Harrisburg  and  other  ships  of  the  fleet,  and  went  up  as 
far  as  Vicksburg.  Natchez,  Baton  Rouge,  and  other 
cities  on  the  river,  had  surrendered,  after  more  or  less 
display  of  force.  / 

Vicksburg  proved  to  be  "a  hard  nut  to  crack."  The 
batteries  which  defended  the  city  were  located  on  high 
bluffs,  where  the  guns  of  the  fleet  were  unable  to  reach 
them.  The  water  was  falling,  and  the  larger  ships  had 
experienced  much  difficulty  in  getting  up.  The  Harris- 
burg had  been  compelled  to  lighter  her  battery  and  coal 
over  some  of  the  shoals.  In  the  face  of  these  difficulties, 
operations  were  suspended  until  a  rise  of  the  river  should 
favor  their  renewal ;  and  the  larger  vessels  of  the  fleet 
returned  to  New  Orleans  or  Baton  Rouge. 

The  gunboats  had  command  of  the  river,  however, 
below  Vicksburg ;  and  the  iron-clads  belonging  to  the 
squadron  of  Commodore  Porter  had  run  the  gantlet  of 
the  heavy  batteries  at  that  place.  During  the  summer, 
the  fleet  inflicted  severe  injury  upon  the  rebels  at  various 


JACK    SOMERS    IN    THE    NAVY.  277 

points  ;  and  all  the  efforts  of  the  latter  to  regain  posses- 
sion of  the  river  were  unavailing.  The  Arkansas,  which 
had  forced  a  passage  through  the  Union  fleet  at  Vicks- 
burg,  was  destroyed,  Grand  Gulf  bombarded,  and  the 
enemy  terribly  punished  at  Baton  Rouge. 

In  the  midst  of  such  events  as  these,  Jack  Somers 
passed  the  season.  The  Middy  was  ordered  to  watch 
the  banks  of  the  river,  to  protect  the  transports  which 
conveyed  troops  and  stores  to  the  fleet  and  the  army,  and 
generally  to  annoy  the  enemy  as  opportunity  was  pre- 
sented. At  one  time  she  narrowly  avoided  a  broadside 
from  the  Arkansas  ;  and,  at  another,  escaped  by  superior 
running  from  the  Webb  and  Music,  —  the  two  consorts 
of  the  rebel  iron-clad. 

Later  in  the  season,  when  the  river  began  to  rise,  the 
Middy  was  ordered  to  make  a  reconnoissance  up  the  Red 
River ;  and  she  started  upon  the  perilous  duty.  This 
river  had  been  the  hiding-place  for  rebel  gunboats  and 
cotton-steamers  ;  and  the  Middy  had  not  proceeded  many 
miles  before  she  was  attacked  by  a  battery  of  light-artil- 
lery, which  she  repulsed  Avithout  difficulty,  and  proceeded 
on  her  Avay. 

"  I  don't  think  AVC  shall  make  a  very  long  trip  in  this 
direction,"  said  Mr.  Deane,  the  pilot. 

"  I  suppose  AVC  haA7e  only  come  up  to  take  a  look,  and 
find  out  Avhat  there  is  here,"  replied  Jack,  who  was  at 
the  wheel. 


278  THE    SAILOR    BOY;    OB, 

"  There's  a  steamer  round  that  bend,"  added  the  pilot. 
"  I  see  her  smoke-stacks." 

"  There's  a  chance  for  a  prize,  then.  Very  likely  she 
is  a  rebel  gunboat,  —  one  of  the  cotton-clads." 

"  Well,  we  shall  soon  find  out." 

He  had  hardly  uttered  the  words  before  a  shot  from 
a  concealed  battery  struck  the  wheel-house,  tearing  the 
roof  completely  off,  and  scattering  the  splinters  in  every 
direction. 

"That's  a  close  shave,"  said  Jack.  "Are  you  hurt, 
Mr.  Deane  ?  " 

"  Not  at  all,"  replied  he,  shaking  off  the  pine- wood 
which  had  fallen  upon  him.  "But  I  shouldn't  like  to  try 
it  over  again." 

"  Two  shots  never  go  in  the  same  place.  We  are  safe 
for  the  rest  of  the  day." 

The  order  was  given  by  the  captain  to  stop  and  back 
her ;  but,  before  the  Middy  could  get  out  of  range,  half 
a  dozen  more  shot  fell  unpleasantly  near  to  her.  The 
guns  in  the  fort  were  heavy,  long-range  pieces ;  and  it 
would  be  madness  for  the  little  steamer  to  attempt  to 
go  any  farther.  She  therefore  put  about,  and  com- 
menced her  return  trip.  She  had  proceeded  but  a  few 
miles  towards  the  Mississippi,  when  a  white  flag  was  dis- 
covered on  the  shore,  around  which  were  gathered  some 
forty  or  fifty  men.  They  hailed  the  Steamer,  and  asked 
to  be  taken  off. 


J4CK    SOMERS    IN    THE  NAVY.  279 

The  Middy's  wheels  were  stopped,  and  Captain  Bank- 
head  desired  to  know  who  and  what  they  were. 

"  We  are  all  Union  men,"  replied  the  spokesman  of 
the  party  ;  "  and  we  want  to  get  out  of  this  region." 

"  Where  are  you  from?" 

"  We  came  from  up  the  river.  We  have  been  robbed 
by  the  rebels  of  every  thing  we  had  :  some  of  the  Union- 
ists have  been  murdered  ;  and  we  want  to  get  inside  the 
Union  lines." 

"  Where  are  your  families?"  demanded  Captain  Bank- 
head. 

"  We  had  to  leave  them  ;  but  the  rebels  don't  meddle 
with  the  women  and  children.  We  haven't  had  any 
thing  to  eat  for  two  days." 

The  bow  of  the  Middy  was  run  up  to  the  shore :  but 
the  captain  seemed  to  have  some  doubts  in  regard  to  the 
party  ;  for  a  portion  of  them  were  armed  with  guns, 
pistols,  and  other  weapons.  He  questioned  them  still 
further  in  regard  to  their  antecedents,  and  finally  per- 
mitted them  to  come  on  board  ;  taking  the  precaution  to 
disarm  them  as  they  passed  the  gang-plank.  They  were 
provided  with  food,  of  which  they  partook  with  ravenous 
appetites. 

Their  clothing  was  in  a  very  dilapidated  condition  ; 
and  their  appearance  certainly  confirmed  their  story, 
that  they  had  suffered  every  imaginable  hardship.  Many 
of  thorn  proposed  at  once  to  enlist  in  the  Union  army,  or 


280.  THE    SAILOR    £OY;    OS, 

enter  the  navy,  as  the  captain  might  elect.  They  pro- 
fessed to  be  very  anxious  to  avenge  the  indignities  to 
which  they  had  been  subjected,  and  desired  to  join  any 
force  which  should  have  for  its  object  the  subjugation  of 
their  State. 

The  man  who  had  spoken  for  them  was  an  intelligent 
and  gentlemanly  person  ;  but  the  majority  of  the  party 
were  coarse  and  rude  in  their  manners,  belonging  to  the 
lowest  stratum  of  Western  society. 

"  I  say,  Jack,  my  dear,  I  don't  like  the  looks  of  them 
bloody  vill'ns  on  the  main-deck,"  said  Tom  Longstone 
in  a  low  tone  when  he  came  up  to  relieve  the  wheel  at 
dinner-time. 

"Why  not?" 

"  Stop  my  grub  if  I  don't  believe  they  are  rebels  at 
heart,  Jack ! " 

"  What  makes  you  think  so?" 

"  I  don't  like  the  looks  of  them.  The  sharks  would 
dodge  such  a  crowd  ! " 

"  They  have  seen  hard  times." 

"  I  don't  mind  their  dress,  Jack' ;  but  they  look  ugly 
about  the  eyes." 

"  Is  that  all  you  have  against  them?" 

"  No  ;  shiver  my  timbers  if  it  is.  I  seen  'em  whisper- 
ing together  more'n  decent  men  ought  to." 

Jack  went  down  to  his  dinner ;  and,  being  off  duty 
afterwards,  he  took  the  opportunity  to  examine  the  ref'u- 


JACK    SOMEnS   IN    THE   NAVY.  281 

gees.  They  were  certainly  whispering  together  ;  and  he- 
noticed  that  their  spokesman  frequently  passed  from  one 
squad  to  another  about  the  deck.  Their  movements 
tvere  suspicious  ;  and  Jack  very  much  desired  to  know 
what  their  head  man  had  to  say  in  this  confidential 
manner. 

The  refugees  were  congregated  on  the  deck  around  the 
wind-sail  by  which  fresh  air  was  introduced  to  the  fire- 
room  below  the  main-deck.  Dunnett,  the  leader,  was 
seated  near  this  wind-sail  at  that  moment,  talking  to  a 
group  around  him ;  and  Jack's  curiosity  was  so  thor- 
oughly stimulated,  that  he  could  not  resist  the  temptation 
to  become  one  of  his  hearers. 

Descending  to  the  fire-room,  he  procured  a  short  ladder 
used  in  oiling  the  engine  ;  and,  running  it  up  the  hatch 
through  which  the  wind-sail  passed,  he  ascended  till  his 
head  was  above  the  deck.  He  was  now  right  in  the 
midst  of  the  squad,  and  could  distinctly  hear  every  word 
that  was  said. 

"  When  I  whistle,  every  man  will  do  his  share  of  the 
work,"  said  Dunnett  in  a  whisper.  "  Half  the  crew  are 
below  :  put  the  hatch  on,  and  keep  them  there  ;  then  we 
can  easily  conquer  the  rest." 

Jack*  did  not  wait  to  hear  any  more.  He  was  only 
afraid  that  the  plot  would  be  executed  before  he  could 
communicate  the  information  to  the  officers.  Coming  up 
from  the  fire-room,  he  hastened  to  find  Mr.  McBride, 


282  THE    SAILOR    BOY;    OK, 

"who  was  then  officer  of  the  deck.  In  a  few  words,  he 
informed  him  of  the  conspiracy.  The  captain  was  then 
made  acquainted  with  the  alarming  facts ;  but  not  a 
word  was  yet  said  to  any  other  person. 

Captain  Bankhead  was  prompt  and  decided.  The 
watch  on  deck  were  ordered  to  the  quarter-guns  in  a 
quiet  way.  They  had  been  loaded  with  case-shot  during 
the  action  with  the  light  battery.  The  charge  of  one 
was  given  to  Tom  Longstone,  while  the  other  was  in 
care  of  Raymond. 

At  the  same  time,  a  plank  in  the  bulkhead  between 
the  forecastle  —  where  part  of  the  men  were  at  the  time 
s — and  the  fire-room  was  knocked  out.  Through  this 
opening  the  seamen  passed  into  the  fire-room,  and  thence 
into  the  after-cabin,  where  they  were  armed  with  cut- 
lasses and  pistols.  They  were  ordered  to  stay  behind 
the  paddle-boxes,  where  they  could  not  be  seen  by  the 
conspirators.  The  two  quarter-guns  were  in  readiness 
to  be  slung  round  in  an  instant,  so  as  to  command  the 
passage  on  each  side  of  the  engine. 

The  preparations  were  all  completed  ;  but  Dunnett  did 
not  yet  give  his  signal  for  the  attack.  The  crew  of  the 
Middy  were  impatient  for  operations  to  commence  ;  and, 
after  some  further  time  had  elapsed,  the  captain  began  to 
think  that  Jack  had  been  deceived,  and  that  his  passen- 
gers were  honest  and  loyal  men. 

The  fact  was,  that  Duuuett  had  been  waiting  for  a  bet- 


JACK    SOMERS    IN    THE    NAVY.  283 

tcr  disposition  of  the  crew  for  his  purpose  ;  but,  when 
he  had  waited  till  his  patience  was  exhausted  as  well  as 
that  of  the  captain,  he  gave  the  designated  whistle. 

A  couple  of  the  rebels  sprang  to  the  hatch,  and  closed 
it ;  perfectly  confident,  no  doubt,  that  they  were  imprison- 
ing at  least  half  the  seamen  of  the  Middy.  Others  rushed 
to  the  wheel-house  and  to  the  engine-room,  where,  of 
course,  they  overpowered  the  pilot  and  the  engineer. 
Having  secured  these  points,  they  formed  in  a  body,  and 
moved  aft.  It  now  appeared  that  they  were  armed  with 
bowie-knives  ;  but,  believing  they  were  to  encounter  only 
half  their  number,  they  advanced  with  entire  confidence. 


284  THE    SAILOR    HOY;    OR 


CHAPTER    XXVII. 

THE   CONSPIRACY   ON    BOARD   THE   MIDDY. 

WING  round  .the  guns  ! "  said  Captain  Bank- 
head  ;  and,  when  the  rebels  advanced,  they 
were  confronted  by  the  black  muzzles  of  the 
t  wenty-four-pounders . 

"There!  what  do  you  think  of  that,  my  beauties?" 
added  Tom  Longstone,  who  stood  with  the  lock-string 
in  his  hand,  ready  to  scatter  the  iron  hail  among  the 
conspirators. 

"  Silence  !  "  commanded  the  captain. 
The  rebels,  seeing  what  kind  of  a  trap  they  had  fallen 
into,  began  to  retreat. 

"  Halt ! "  shouted  the  captain  in  a  voice  of  thunder. 
"  If  a  man  of  you  moves,  I  will  give  the  order  to  fire  !  " 
There  was  no  mistaking  this  insinuating  request ;  and 
the  party  stood  in  dumb  amazement  before  the  frowning 
guns.  It  was  impossible  for  them  to  help  seeing,  that, 
if  they  made  any  movement,  it  would  result  in  the  cer- 
tain destruction  of  half  their  number.  Their  plans  had 
certainly  been  well  laid ;  and  nothing  but  the  discovery 


JACK    SOMERS    IN    THE   NAVY.  285 

of  them  interfered  with  their  success.  Expecting  an 
easy  victory,  they  were  confounded  to  find  the  whole 
project  suddenly  ruined. 

Dunnett  looked  savagely  discontented  with  the  result ; 
and  Captain  Bankhead  was  afraid  he  would  be  rash 
enough  to  rush  upon  the  guns,  and  sacrifice  his  party. 
It  would  have  been  a  terrible  necessity  to  him  to  give 
the  order  for  the  destruction  of  so  many  human  beings 
as  must  have  followed  the  discharge  of  the  twenty-four- 
pounders,  especially  as  the  engineers  and  two  seamen 
were  also  exposed  to  the  fire. 

"  You  understand  the  matter  now,"  said  Captain  Bank- 
head,  after  the  rebels  had  stared  at  the  guns  long  enough 
to  understand  the  situation.  "  It  only  remains  for  you 
to  surrender." 

"  Never  ! "  yelled  Dunnett,  stamping  his  foot  with  rage. 

"  Very  well :  you  can  take  your  choice." 

The  villain  looked  behind  him,  glancing  at  the  shore 
ahead  of  the  steamer.  He  evidently  had  something  to 
hope  for  ;  as  the  rebels  had  the  wheel  and  engine  in  their 
power,  and  could  take  the  Middy  where  they  pleased. 
Captain  Bankhead  then  nipped  this  hope  in  the  bud  by 
sending  Mr.  McBride,  with  Jack  Somers  and  two  ma- 
rines, to  recover  the  wheel-house. 

Unfortunately,  the  rebels  who  had  captured  Mr.  Deane, 
the  pilot,  had  taken  his  pistols  from  him ;  and  the  two 
men  at  the  wheel  were  thus  supplied  with  weapons.  The 


286  THE    SAILOR    J)  0  Y ;    O  /?, 

lieutenant  and  his  men  were  equally  well  armed,  it  is 
true  ;  but  the  capture  of  the  rebels  involved  the  loss  of 
some  life,  which  a  prudent  officer  should  always  avoid 
if  possible.  There  was  no  <?ther  way,  however ;  for  the 
Confederates  at  the  wheel,  beginning  to  understand  the 
state  of  affairs  below,  were  putting  the  steamer  about, 
probably  with  the  intention  of  running  her  under  the 
guns  of  some  battery  in  the  vicinity. 

Mr.  McBride  ordered  the  marines  to  advance,  and 
take  the  men  at  the  wheel.  They  obeyed  ;  but  the  rebels 
were  prompt  and  decided  in  their  resistance,  and  one  of 
the  marines  fell.  The  other,  intimidated  by  the  fall 
of  his  companion,  discharged  his  musket,  and  retreated. 
Jack,  seeing  how  matters  were  going,  climbed  upon  the 
top  of  the  pilot's  stateroom,  —  which  was  a  continuation 
of  the  wheel-house, — and  advanced  towards  the  scene  of 
action. 

"  Shoot  them,  Somers ! "  said  Mr.  McBride,  fearful 
that  Jack  might  attempt  to  compromise  the  matter. 

"Ay,  ay,  sir!"  replied  our  sailor-boy,  lying  down 
upon  his  stomach,  and  creeping  forward,  with  his  re- 
volver in  his  hand. 

The  lieutenant  then  approached  the  wheel-house  with 
the  marine,  ready  to  take  advantage  of  the  panic  which 
the  other  movement  might  occasion  ;  though  they  did  not 
show  themselves  to  the  enemy.  Jack  had  now  reached  a 
point  where  he  could  see  the  rebels  ;  for,  as  the  reader 


JACK    SOMERS    IN    THE    NAVY.  287 

i-emcmbcrs,  the  roof  of  the  wheel-house  had  been  blown 
off  by  the  shot  from  the  battery  on  shore.  The  two  men 
were  crouching  behind  the  door,  pistols  in  hand,  ready  to 
repel  an  assault  in  that  direction.  Jack  took  deliberate 
aim  at  the  man  who  had  one  hand  on  the  wheel,  and 
fired.  The  wretch  uttered  an  oath,  and  let  go  his  hold, 
which  caused  the  wheel  to  roll  over  ;  for  the  steamer  was 
in  the  act  of  coming  about.  His  companion,  dismayed 
by  this  unexpected  assault,  turned  to  see  whence  it  came, 
and  to  be  in  readiness  to  repel  it.  As  he  did  so,  Mr. 
McBride  fired  his  pistol,  but  missed  his  aim. 

The  rebel,  finding  himself  attacked  in  front  and  in 
flank,  and  not  knowing  from  what  direction  the  next  as- 
sault might  come,  crouched  down  in  the  corner  of  the 
wheel-house,  and  cried  for  "  quarter."  Jack  Sorters 
then  dropped  into  the  apartment  from  the  broken  roof, 
and  grasped  the  wheel,  while  Mr.  McBride  and  the 
marine  seized  the  discomfited  rebel.  Mr.  Deane,  who 
had  been  thrust  into  the  pilot's  state-room  for  safe  keep- 
ing, was  called  out ;  and  the  Middy,  which  had  nearly 
run  into  the  bank  of  the  river  during  the  affray,  was 
again  headed  down  stream. 

The  steamer  was  now  a  "house  divided  against  itself," 
having  a  Union  pilot  and  a  rebel  engineer.  The  latter 
soon  manifested  his  opposition  to  the  dominant  power  in 
the  wheel-house  by  stopping  the  engine.  Mr.  McBride, 
after  the  wounded  rebel  and  the  wounded  marine  had 


288  THE    SAILOR    BOY;    OK, 

been  placed  in  the  pilot's  room,  left  the  hurricane-deck  to 
report  to  the  captain  on  the  quarter. 

While  these  events  were  transpiring,  Captain  Bank- 
head  had  been  parleying  with  Dunnett,  endeavoring  to 
prevent  the  scene  of  bloodshed  which  must  follow  more 
decided  operations.  When  the  rebel  engineer  stopped 
the  engine  at  a  signal  from  the  chief  conspirator,  it  was 
plain  that  no  further  temporizing  must  be  allowed. 

"  I  give  you  two  minutes  to  surrender  !  "  said  the  cap- 
tain sternly.  "At  the  end  of  that  time,  we  shall  fire 
upon  you  !  " 

"And  blow  your  boat  all  to  pieces  !"  sneered  Dunnett, 
who  evidently  did  not  believe  Captain  Bankhead  would 
put  his  threat  into  execution,  except  in  self-defence. 

"  Whatever  happens,  we  shall  fire  !  "  said  the  captain, 
taking  out  his  watch. 

Dunnett  waited  with  compressed  lips  and  glaring  eyes 
until  the  captain  announced  that  the  time  had  nearly 
expired. 

"  Lie  down,  boys  !  "  shouted  the  rebel  leader  ;  and, 
suiting  the  action  to  the  words,  he  threw  himself  flat 
upon  the  deck,  and  the  others  followed  his  example. 

Without  any  orders  from  the  captain,  Tom  Longstone 
and  Raymond  depressed  the  muzzles  of  the  guns  till 
they  pointed  into  the  midst  of  the  two  groups  in  the 
passage-ways. 

"  Those  who  wish  to  surrender,  come  aft !  "  said  Cap- 


JACK    SOMERS    IN    THE    NAVY.  289 

tain  Bankhead  in  a  loud  tone,  so  that  all  the  rebels  could 
hear  him. 

'  Before  Dunnett  could  counteract  the  effects  of  this 
invitation  upon  his  party,  the  miserable  rebels  began  to 
crawl  aft ;  for  it  was  not  in  the  nature  of  man  to  face 
the  muzzles  of  those  terrible  guns,  which  at  any  instant 
might  tear  them  in  pieces.  It  was  folly  and  -madness  to 
stand  up  or  lie  down  in  range  of  such  savage  persecutors. 

The  movement  soon  became  general ;  and,  as  the 
rebels  came  aft,  they  were  disarmed  and  secured  by  the 
seamen. 

"  Cowards  !  "  yelled  Dunnett.  "  Will  you  desert  me? 
Will  you  put  your  necks  into  a  halter  ? '" 

The  words  hissed  from  his  mouth  in  the  fearful  rage 
he  exhibited  when  he  saw  himself  deserted  by  nearly  all 
his  party.  He  was  a  desperate  man,  and  evidently  had 
no  regard  for  his  own  life  or  the  lives  of  his  men.  He 
had  risen  from  his  recumbent  posture  when  the  stampede 
of  his  forces  became  general.  Finding  his  words  had  no 
effect  upon  his  frightened  followers,  he  began  to  nourish 
his  bowie-knife,  and  threatened  to  take  the  life  of  any  one 
who  accepted"  the  captain's  offer. 

The  force  of  example  was  potent ;  and  apparently  there 
were  not  more  than  half  a  dozen  who  were  willing  to 
stand  by  him  in  his  reckless  measures.  The  battle 
among  the  rebels  themselves  had  actually  commenced ; 
and  the  desperado  had  stabbed  two  or  three  of  his  mis- 
19 


290  THE    SAILOR    BOY;    OR, 

erable  crew,  when  Captain  Bankhead  considered  it  time 
for  him  tp  interfere.  He  ordered  six  marines  to  advance 
with  bayonets,  under  the  direction  of  Mr.  Dickey,  to  be 
supported  by  half  the  crew  with  cutlasses  and  pistols. 

Mr.  Dickey,  with  his  sword  drawn,  advanced  valiantly 
to  the  charge.  Dunuett,  and  the  half-dozen  rebels  who 
still  adhered  to  his  failing  fortunes,  retreated  to  the  bow 
of  the  steamer,  passing  over  the  wounded  and  frightened 
ones  who  had  been  vainly  striving  to  escape  the  fury  of 
their  own  leader. 

"  Come  on,  my  men  !  "  shouted  Mr.  Dickey,  who  led. 
the  way  ten  feet  ahead  of  the  marines,  when  the  rebels 
fled  from  the  heavy  force  sent  to  capture  them. 

He  rushed  forward,  flourishing  his  sword  in  the  air  ex- 
actly as  he  had  seen  the  weapon  displayed  in  pictures  of 
such  desperate  affrays.  Dunnett,  probably  inspired  with 
a  supreme  contempt  for  this  puny  antagonist,  and  more" 
likely  with  a  desire  to  wreak  his  vengeance  upon  the 
authors  of  his  discomfiture,  advanced  upon  him  ;  and  the 
captain  trembled  for  the  fate  of  his  little  officer.  But 
Mr.  Dickey  parried  the  blow  of  the  bowie-knife  with  the 
trusty  blade,  which  had  hitherto  been  only  an  ornament 
in  his  hand ;  and,  stepping  back  a  pace  or  two,  he  drew 
his  pistol,  and  fired.  Dunnett  fell.  The  marines  then 
charged  upon  the  others  who  supported  him.  Disheart- 
ened by  the  fate  of  their  chief,  they  gave  way,  and, 
throwiu*  dowa  their  knives,  were  made  prisoners.  The 


JACK    SOMERS    IN    THE   NAVY  291 

battle  was  ended,  and  the  Middy  still  remained  in  pos- 
session of  the  original  officers  and  crew. 

"  Mr.  Dickey,  you  have  done  nobly ! "  said  Captain 
Bankhead,  when  the  gallant  tars  had  given  the  cheers 
which  are  almost  irrepressible  after  a  victory. 

"  Hurrah  ! "  shouted  the  crew,  as  the  captain  took  the 
hand  of  his  second-lieutenant. 

"  Thank  you,  sir.  I  have  only  endeavored  to  do  my 
duty,"  replied  Mr.  Dickey. 

"  You  have  done  it  bravely  ;  and  I  thank  you  for  your 
valuable  services,  which,  I  assure  you,  I  shall  not  fail  to 
embody  in  my  report  to  the  flag-officer." 

"  I  am  very  grateful  to  you,  sir,  both  for  the  opportu- 
nity you  afforded  me  of  serving  the  cause,  and  for  your 
kind  appreciation  of  my  humble  endeavors  to  do  my 
duty,"  added  Mr.  Dickey. 

"  But  there  is  another  man  on  board  who  ought  to  be 
remembered  at  this  time,  -=—  one  who  ferreted  out  this 
plot,  and  gave  me  the  information  in  time  to  prevent  its 
execution.  Where  is  Somers  ?  " 

"  Somers  again  !  "  exclaimed  Mr.  Dickey,  facetiously 
repeating  the  captain's  words  on  a  former  occasion. 

"  I  am  here,  sir,"  said  Jack,  who,  after  the  engine 
started,  had  come  down  from  the  wheel-house  to  witness 
the  exciting  events  transpiring  on  the  main-deck,  —  "3 
am  here,  sir  ;  but "  — 

"  Hurrah  !  "  shouted  the  crew. 


292  THE    SAILOR    EOT;    OR, 

"  The  credit  does  not  belong  to  me,  Captain  Bank- 
head,"  continued  Jack.  "  It  was  Tom  Longstone  "  — 

"  Vast  heavin',  my  darling  !  "  interposed  that  veteran. 
"  It  was  Jack  Somers,  your  honor.  Don't  believe  a 
word  he  says  about  me,  sir." 

"  It  was  Longstone  who  first  found  out  about  it,  sir. 
He  told  me  when  he  came  up  to  relieve  the  wheel,  at 
dinner-time." 

"  Hurrah  !  "  shouted  the  crew,  swinging  their  caps  in 
honor  of  the  veteran  quartermaster. 

"  Silence,  my  lads  !  "  said  the  captain. 

"  Who  climbed  up  the  wind-sail,  and  heard  what  the 
lubbers  had  to  say  ?  "  persisted  Tom  stoutly. 

"  We  owe  our  safety  to  both  of  you  ;  and  both  of  you 
have  behaved  very  handsomely  during  the  affair." 

"  Somers  certainly  has,"  added  Mr.  McBride,  who  now 
reported  the  events  which  had  taken  place  at  the  wheel- 
house. 

"  Somers  again  !  "  added  Mr.  Dickey. 

Jack  blushed,  and  was  glad  when  the  orders  were 
given  to  dispose  of  the  rebel  prisoners.  Dunnett  was  the 
only  man  killed  during  the  exciting  affray  ;  the  ball  from 
Mr.  Dickey's  pistol  passing  through  his  head.  The  ma- 
rine wounded  on  the  hurricane-deck  was  in  a  critical 
condition.  The  ball  from  Jack's  pistol  had  passed 
through  the  rebel's  shoulder ;  but  his  wound  was  not 
mortal.  Three  of.  the  desperadoes,  stabbed  by  Dunnett 


JACK    SO  ME  US    IX    THE    NAVY.  293 

and  his  immediate  supporters,  appeared  not  to  be  dan- 
gerously hurt.  All  of  these  sufferers  were  placed  in  the 
cabin,  and  the  surgeon  was  already  attending  to  them. 

When  the  usual  order  and  quiet  of  the  steamer  had 
been  restored,  Captain  Baukhead  examined  the  prisoners 
in  relation  to  the  desperate  enterprise  they  had  under- 
taken. It  was  ascertained  that  Dunnett  was  a  lieutenant 
in  the  light  battery  which  had  fired  upon  the  Middy  in 
her  passage  up.  the  river,  and  that  the  men  were,  most 
of  them,  members  of  the  company.  Dunnett  had  sug- 
gested the  plot,  and  selected  the  men  to  carry  it  out. 
Knowing  that  the  steamer  would  soon  be  beaten  back  by 
the  heavy  battery  above,  he  had  awaited  her  return,  and 
hailed  her  under  cover  of  a  flag  of  truce.  They  had 
been  provided  with  bowi^-knives,  which  the}  had  con- 
cealed about  their  person?,  though  they  had  not  expected 
to  be  deprived  of  their  guis  and  pistols.  Tin  wariness 
of  Captain  Baukhead  had  prevented  the  earlier  execution 
of  the  treacherous  scheme,  which  could  hardly  have  failed 
of  ultimate  success  if  the  suspicions  of  Tom  LongstoL3 
and  the  investigations  of  Jack  Somers  had  not  disclosed 
it  in  season  to  prevent  it"  accomplishment. 

The  Middy  readied  the  Mississippi  at  dark,  and  joined 
the  fieet  which  was  blockading  the  mouth  of  the  Red 
River.  The  next  day,  she  reported  to  the  flag-officer  at 
Baton  Rouge,  and  was  ordered  to  New  Orleans  for  re- 
pairs. 


294  THE    SAILOR    HOT;    OK, 


CHAPTER    XXVIII. 

THE    MIDDY    ON    THE    BLOCKADE. 

FIE  Middy  arrived  at  New  Orleans  about  the 
middle  of  August,  where  she  was  immediately 
followed  by  the  Harrisburg.  The  little  steamer 
was  then  hauled  up  at  Algiers,  opposite  the  city, 
and  completely  dismantled  for  the  purpose  of  making 
certain  repairs  and  alterations,  to  adapt  her  to  a  different 
service  from  that  in  which  she  had  before  been  engaged. 
Her  officers  returned  to  the  ship,  with  the  exception  of 
Mr.  Dickey,  who  remained  in  charge  of  the  crew.  The 
Harrisburg  then  departed  for  Ship  Island. 

During  the  session  of  Congress,  the  navy  had  been 
re-organized  ;  and  Jack  learned  that  his  friend  Mr.  Bank- 
head  was  now  a  commander.  Flag-officer  Farragut  was 
henceforth  to  be  known  as  a  rear-admiral.  Mr.  Dickey 
had  been  promoted  to  the  new  rank  of  ensign.  Mr. 
McBride  was  still  a  lieutenant ;  but  his  name  was  much 
nearer  the  head  of  the  list  than  before. 

Our  sailor-boy  was  rejoiced  at  the  promotion  of  his 
Hends  ;  but  he  was  heartily  disgusted  when  he  learned, 


JACK    SOMERS    IN    THE    NAVY.  295 

a  few  days  later,  that  Captain  Bankhead  had  been  ordered 
to  the  command  of  a  gunhoat  iu  the  Eastern  Gulf  Squad- 
ron, and  that  by  no  possibility  could  he  obtain  a  berth  in 
the  same  vessel.  He  poured  out  his  sorrows  in  dubious 
strains  to  his  friend  Tom  Lougstone,  who  did  all  he 
could  to  comfort  him. 

"  I've  got  enough  of  this  fresh- water  duty ! "  said 
Jack.  "  I  want  to  see  the  blue  sea  again,  and  be  tum- 
bled about  in  a  gale  once  more.  I  suppose  we  can  get 
back  into  the  Harrisburg  again,  if  we  want  to  do  so." 

"  Don't  you  do  it,  my  darling.  We  have  done  very 
well  in  this  'ere  trim  little  craft." 

"  But  I  don't  want  to  paddle  about  here  in  fresh  water 
all  my  days ;  though  I  wouldn't  mind  it  if  Captain 
Bankhead  were  "to  remain  in  command." 

"  See  here,  Jack :  do  you  mind  what  them  'ere  men 
are  doin'  ?  "  continued  Tom,  pointing  to  the  shipwrights 
at  work  on  the  forecastle  of  the  Middy. 

"  They  are  putting  up  bulwarks,  of  course." 

"  That  means  that  we  are  going  to  sea,  my  bantling.'* 

"But  who  is  going  to  command  her?  That  is  the 
question." 

"  I  dunuo,  Jack." 

"  Mr.  Dickey,  very  likely^" 

"  Perhaps  he  be  :  he's  a  ensign  now ! "  added  Tom 
with  one  of  his  inward  chuckles.  "  What  a  lubberly 
name  that  is  to  give  an  officer  in  the  United-States  Navy  I 
It  aren't  much  better  nor  callin'  him  a  marine." 


296  THE    SAILOR    BOY;    OK, 

The  supposition  in  regard  to  Mr.  Ensign  Dickey  proved 
not  to  be  correct ;  for  the  command  oi'  the  Middy  was 
given  to  Lieutenant  McBride :  but  the  aspiring  little 
gentleman  was  to  serve  as  executive  officer,  while  an 
acting  ensign  —  Mr.  Brackett  —  was  attached  to  her 
as  second-lieutenant.  The  repairs  and  alterations  were 
completed,  her  quota  x>f  officers  reported  to  the  captain, 
and  the  Middy  was  again  ready  for  duty. 

"All  hands,  up  anchor,  ahoy  !  "  piped  the  acting-boat- 
swain one  fine  morning  about  the  middle  of  September. 

"  Here's  a  letter  which  Commander  Bankhead  re- 
quested me  to  deliver  to  you,  Somers,"  said  Captain 
McBride,  who  had  just  come  on  board  with  his  orders, 
having  arrived  the  night  before  from  Ship  Island. 

"  Thank  you,  sir,"  replied  Jack,  as  "he  received  the 
letter  through  the  window  of  the  wheel-house. 

"  You  had  better  open  it  before  we  get  off;  for  it  may 
contain  an  official  document,"  added  the  captain.  "  I 
have  been  expecting  an  order  to  send  you  ashore  ;  but  I 
hope  there  is  nothing  of  the  kind  there." 

"  Nothing,  sir." 

"Anchor  away,  sir  !  "  reported  the  boatswain. 

"  Strike  one  bell,  quartermaster  !  "  said  Mr.  Dickey. 

"  One  bell,  sir  !  "  replied  Tom  Longstone. 

There  was  a  pilot  on  board,  who  had  already  received 
his  instructions  ;  and,  as  Tom  had  the  helm,  Jack  was 
at  liberty  to  read  his  letter,  which  was  an  object  of  no 


JACK    SOMERS    IN    THE    N  A  T  Y.  297 

little  interest  to  him.  Captain  Bankliead  informed  him 
that  he  was  waiting  an  opportunity  to  join  his  ship,  and 
that  they  should  probably  meet  again  in  a  few  weeks  ; 
for  the  Middy  had  been  transferred  to  the  Eastern  Gulf 
Squadron. 

"  I  hope  you  will  continue  to  conduct  yourself  with 
the  same  heroism,  and  devotion  to  your  country's  cause, 
which  have  heretofore  distinguished  you,"  the  writer  con- 
tinued ;  "  for  I  have  high  hopes  of  your  future.  Your 
character  has,  thus  far,  been  above  reproach  ;  and  I  am 
satisfied  that  you  will  continue  to  keep  it  pure  and  unsul- 
lied. I  have  just  written  to  your  mother  a  long  story 
about  you,  in  which  I  told  her  that  you  never  gambled, 
drank  liquor,  or  swore  ;  that,  when  you  had  a  day's  lib- 
erty in  New  Orleans,  you  returned  with  no  vices  clinging 
to  you  ;  that  your  shipmates  love  you  for  your  virtues ; 
that  you  frequently  read  your  Testament ;  and  arc,  in 
every  respect,  what  I  would  have  you.  It  is  easier  to 
be  brave  in  battle  than  it  is  to  be  a  good  man. 

"  But  I  have  not  written  this  letter  to  toll  you  what  a 
good  boy  you  have  been  ;  though  it  was  exceedingly 
pleasant  to  be  able  to  give  your  mother  so  good  an  ac- 
count of  you.  I  desired  to  inform  you  that  I  have  repre- 
sented your  case  to  the  admiral,  and  others  who  have 
influence  at  Washington.  I  hope  to  procure  for  yon  a 
warrant  as  a  midshipman  in  the  navy.  I  think  I  could 
obtain  a  commission  for  you  as  an  acting-ensign ;  but 


298  THE    SAILOR    BOY;    OR, 

you  are  not  a  navigator,  and  I  wish  to  have  you  well  in- 
structed. You  must  go  to  the  Naval  School  for  a  time  ; 
and,  as  your  education  has  not  been  neglected,  you  need 
remain  there  but  a  few  months.  The  admiral  warmly 
seconds  my  views ;  and  I  doubt  not,  as  a  special  favor  to 
him,  the  request  we  make  will  be  granted. 

"  Now,  my  dear  boy,  be  true  to  yourself,  your  coun- 
try, and  God,  and  I  shall  hope  to  see  you  an  officer  in 
the  regular  navy  —  not  a  volunteer  —  in  a  few  months. 
I  have  taken  all  this  pains,  and  am  willing  to  accept  a 
warrant,  when  I  could  procure  a  commission  for  you,  in 
order  that  you  may  not  be  thrown  out  of  the  service 
when  the  war  closes ;  of  which,  Heaven  knows,  there 
seems  to  be  no  present  prospect.  I  shall  expect  to  see 
you  when  the  Middy  arrives  ;  but  I  may  be  gone  before 
she  comes. 

"  Good-by,  Jack ;  and  remember  me  to  Tom  Long- 
stone. 

"  Your  devoted  friend, 

"  JOHN  BANKHEAD." 

Jack  was  bewildered  by  the  contents  of  this  kind  let- 
ter, and  glanced  at  his  collar  to  see  if  there  was  not 
already  an  anchor  upon  it.  "  Midshipman  Somers  "  did 
not  sound  badly ;  and  our  hero's  face  was  wreathed  in 
smiles  as  the  thought  passed  through  his  mind.  A 
delightful  prospect  was  certainly  before  him ;  and  he 


JACK    SO  ME  JtS    IN    THE    NAVY.  299 

resolved  to  be  good  and  true  to  the  end,  that  he  might 
be  worthy  of  such  friends  as  Commander  Baukhead. 

"What's  in  the  letter,  my  dear?"  demanded  Tom 
bluntly,  as  Jack  went  forward  to  look  out  at  the  wiu- 
dow. 

"  Captain  Bankhead  desires  to  be  remembered  to  you, 
Tom." 

"  God  bless  his  honor ! "  exclaimed  the  old  quarter- 
master, lifting  his  cap. 

"  Starboard  !  "  said  the  pilot. 

"  Starboard,  sir  !  "  repeated  Tom. 

"  Steady ! " 

"  Steady,  sir  !  " 

"  Well,'  Somers,"  said  Captain  McBride,  stopping  at 
the  side  of  the  window  of  the  wheel-house,  "  did  the 
letter  please  you  ?  " 

"  Very  much,  sir,"  replied  Jack.  "  Will  you  please 
to  read  it,  sir?" 

Captain  McBride,  in  spite  of  the  traditions  of  the- 
navy,  had  ventured  to  be  quite  familiar  with  the  quarter- 
masters of  the  Middy  ;  for  both  of  them  were  trusty  men , 
and  had  more  than  once  won  the  approbation  of  the 
officers.  He  took  the  letter,  and  read  it  through. 

"  I  knew  something  about  this  matter  before,  Somers  ; 
and  I  congratulate  you  upon'  the  bright  prospect  before 
you  " 

"  Thank  you,  sir,"  replied  Jack,  touching  his  cap  ;  for 


300  THE    SAILOR    BOY;    OR, 

he  was  determined  that  this  familiarity  in  his  case  should 
not  breed  contempt. 

"  I  don't  know  much  about  your  education,  Somers. 
What  have  you  studied  ? "  asked  the  captain. 

"  I've  only  been  to  the  common  school,  sir ;  but  I 
went  through  with  what  they  called  the  high-school 
course." 

"•  Have  you  studied  Latin?" 

"  No,  sir,"  laughed  Jack  ;  "but  I  have  studied  algebra 
and  geometry." 

"  Well,  Somers,  I'll  give  you  my  opinion,  and  you  may 
take  it  for  what  it  is  worth.  I've  got  some  books  in  my 
cabin  ;  and,  while  we  are  lying  at  anchor,  I  recommend 
you  to  overhaul  your  studies,  and  brush  them  up.  You 
have  plenty  of  time  to  spare." 

"  I  thank  you,  sir :  I  shall  certainly  do  so." 

"  You  and  Longstone  have  the  wheel-house  all  to 
yourselves  after  we  have  discharged  the  pilot ;  and  there 
is  nothing  to  prevent  your  making  good  use  of  your 
time." 

"  I  shall  do  so,  sir." 

"And,  if  you  want  any  assistance,  I  will  cheerfully 
afford  it,"  added  the  captain  as  he  walked  aft. 

"  Thank  you,  sir.     You  are  very  kind." 

"  God  bless  your  honor  !"  ejaculated  Tom  Longstone, 
who  felt  just  as  though  all  these  favors  were  conferred 
upon  himself.  "What's  in  the  wind,  my  darling ?" 


JACK    SO  ME  US    IN    THE   NAVY.  301 

"  Port !  "  said  the  pilot. 

"  Port,  sir  ! "  repeated  Tom. 

"  Steady  !  "  added  the  pilot,  who  was  determined  that 
the  wheelman  should  not  do  any  talking  while  upon 
duty. 

"  Steady,  sir  !  "  repeated  Tom. 

But  Jack,  who  sympathized  with  his  friend  in  his  im- 
patience to  know  what  the  important  letter  contained, 
took  the  helm,  and  handed  the  document  to  Tom,  who 
sat  down  in  the  corner,  and  proceeded  to  study  out  its 
contents. 

"Is  it'a  middy,  my  darling?"  exclaimed  the  veteran 
when  h^  had  finished  the  letter.  "  I  touch  my  hat  to 
your  honor." 

"  Not  yet,  Tom." 

"  Starboard  !  "  said  the  pilot. 

"  Starboard,  sir  !  "  added  Jack. 

"  No  talking  at  the  helm  ! "  said  the  pilot  testily.  "  If 
you  say  another  word,  I'll  report  you  to  the  officer  of  the 
deck." 

Tom  took  the  helm  again,  and  Jack  went  beloAv.  In 
the  course  of  the  day,  the  captain  gave  him  several 
works  on  geometry,  gunnery,  and  mathematics  in  gen- 
eral, which  he  carefully  deposited  in  the  closet  in  the 
wheel-house. 

In  the  afternoon,  the  Middy  went  through  Pass  a 
1'Outre,  and,  'before  evening,  was  rolling  about  in  the 


302  THE    SAILOR    BOY;    OR, 

swells  of  the  Gulf;  but  she  was  a  good  sea-boat,  and  the 
motion  was  rather  refreshing  to  the  old  salts  on  board. 
Before  daylight,  she  came  to  anchor  near  the  Harris- 
burg.  Visits  were  interchanged  between  the  ship  and 
the  Middy  during  the  day ;  but  Jack  was  disappointed  to 
find  that  Captain  Bankhead  had  gone  the  day  before. 

At  sunset,  the  Middy  departed  for  the  eastward,  and, 
on  the  following  day,  reported  to  the  acting  admiral  com- 
manding the  Eastern  Gulf  Squadron.  Captain  McBride 
received  his  orders,  and  immediately  sailed  again  for  the 
station,  which  was  near  the  mouth  of  the  Suwannee 
River,  in  Florida.  Tom  Longstone  expressed  his  dis- 
gust when  he  found,  as  he  supposed,  that  the  steamer  was 
actually  engaged  in  the  blockading  service  ;  but  Jack 
was  too  busy  with  his  books  to  object  to  this  life  of  inac- 
tivity. 

After  they  had  lain  on  the  station  a  few  days,  and 
Jack's  head  was  as  full  of  lines  and  angles,  projectiles 
and  parabolas,  as  a  professor's,  an  incident  occurred 
which  broke  up  the  monotony  of  the  blockader's  life. 
Jack  was  standing  at  the  Avindow  of  the  wheel-house, 
running  over  in  his  mind  a  difficult  problem  in  geom- 
etry which  had  perplexed  him  during  the  day.  It  was  a 
dark  and  foggy  evening,  and  no  lights  were  allowed  ;  for 
it  was  just  the  time  to  tempt  a  blockade-runner  into  a 
daring  deed :  but  Jack  was  an  earnest  student,  and  he 
did  not  cease  to  study  because  he  could  not  use  hi? 
book. 


JACK    SOMERS    IN    THE   NAVY.  903 

As  he  meditated  upon  the  mysterious  problem,  he 
thought  he  heard  the  splashing  of  a  steamer's  paddles 
in  the  water,  between  the  Middy  and  the  shore.  The 
sound  drove  all  the  mathematics  out  of  his  head  ;  and  he 
soon  satisfied  himself  that  the  splashing  was  not  an  illu- 
sion. He  immediately  reported  the  fact  to  Mr.  Dickey, 
who  communicated  it  to  Captain  McBride.  The  cable 
was  instantly  slipped  and  buoyed,  and  the  Middy  was  in 
motion.  The  fog  was  so  dense,  that  nothing  could  be 
seen  ;  but,  after  going  at  full  speed  for  fifteen  minutes  in 
the  direction  of  the  mouth  of  the  river,  she  was  stopped, 
and  her  officers  listened  attentively  for  the  sounds.  They 
could  now  be  distinctly  heard  ;  and  the  Middy  continued 
the  chase  in  the  fog  and  darkness.  She  approached  the 
mouth  of  the  river,  sounding  her  way,  and  stopping  fre- 
quently to  listen  to  the  splashing  of  the  steamer's  wheels, 
which  could  be  more  distinctly  heard  at  every  pause. 

"  Hullo,  de  steamer ! "  said  a  voice,  close  aboard  of 
her,  at  one  of  these  stoppages. 

A  negro  in  a  skiff  now  emerged  from  a  dense  volume 
of  fog,  and  came  alongside. 

"  May  I  come  on  board,  massa?"  said  he.  "  I'm  pilot, 
massa  :  knows  ebery  foot  ob  de  riber." 

"Ay,  ay  ;  come  on  board  !  "  replied  the  captain. 

"  You  go  mos'  aground,  massa  !  No  water  ober  dar," 
added  the  man  as  he  pointed  over  on  the  port-bow. 
"How  much  water  do  you  draw,  massa?" 


304  THE    SAILOR   £OT;    OR, 

"  We  can  carry  up  about  five  feet,"  replied  Captain 
McBride. 

"  Golly,  massa !  jus'  five  foot  on  de  bar  at  high  water, 
—  dat's  all !  "  grinned  tbe  negro. 

"Are  there  any  batteries  up  the  river?" 

"  Yes,  sir :  tree  guns  up  dar.  Mos'  on  de  bar  now, 
massa  cap'n." 

"  We  will  remain  here  till  high  water,  Mr.  Dickey," 
added. the  captain. 

"  Dis  chile  want  to  run  away  awful  bad,  massa,"  said 
the  visitor.  "  Good  pilot,  massa :  knows  all  about  de 
Keys,  and  all  about  here." 

"  I  am  glad  to  see  you,  then.  What  steamer  was  that 
which  just  went  up  the  river?" 

"  Don't  know,  massa :  'speck  it  was  de  'Lympus. 
She  done  run  de  blockade  from  de  Keys." 

The  Middy  remained  where  she  was,  and  the  pilot  was 
taken  below  to  be  fed  and  clothed. 


JACK   SOMERS   IN    TH"E   NAVY.  305 


CHAPTER    XXIX. 

THE    BLOCKADE-RUNNER. 

'HE  water  on  that  portion  of  the  coast  of  Florida 
to  which  the  Middy  had  been  ordered  is  very 
shallow.  The  shoals  extend  out  from  the  land 
about  sixteen  miles  ;  and,  six  miles  from  shore, 
there  was  not,  in  many  places,  more  than  a  foot  of  water 
between  the  Middy's  keel  and  the  bottom.  Her  light 
draught,  and  weatherly  qualities,  had  been  her  principal 
recommendations  for  the  service  on  which  she  had  been 
sent ;  but,  for  in-shore  duty,  she  was  well-nigh  useless 
without  a  pilot,  which  she  had,  thus  far,  been  unable  to 
obtain. 

The  Suwannee  River  has  two  outlets.  In  front  of  these 
there  is  a  long,  circular  reef,  outside  of  which  the  Middy 
lay.  The  blockade-runner  had  approached  from  the  di- 
rection of  Cedar  Keys,  and  entered  the  river  by  the  most 
southern  of  the  two  outlets,  passing  inside  of  the  Middy. 
The  negro  who  had  boarded  the  steamer  said  he  had 
been  after  oysters.  He  had  been  on  the  lookout  for  a 


306  THE    SAILOR    SOT;    OR, 

Government  vessel  for  weeks ;  for,  as  he  had  declared, 
he  "  wanted  to  run  away  very  bad."  Hundreds  of  slaves 
had  come  off  to  the  fleet  in  various  places  ;  and  Clem  — • 
this  was  the  negro's  name  —  said  there  were  thousands 
more  who  wanted  to  escape  from  slavery.  There  was 
no  difficulty  in  believing  all  this,  and  nothing  very 
strange  in  Clem's  coming  off  just  when  and  where  he 
did.  His  color  was  a  sufficient  guaranty  for  his  loyalty, 
but  not  for  his  skill  as  a  pilot  in  those  difficult  and  dan- 
gerous waters. 

Captain  McBride  gave  him  some  supper,  and  supplied 
him  with  clothing ;  for  the  poor  fellow  was  not  very 
far  from  naked.  He  questioned  him  very  closely  in 
regard  to  his  knowledge  of  the  navigation  of  the  river 
and  the  contiguous  waters.  Clem  answered  that  he  had 
been  a  fireman  on  a  river-steamer  for  ten  years  *  had 
been  fishing  and  oystering  for  five  more  ;  and,  finally, 
that  he  had  several  times  piloted  a  steamer,  drawing 
•three  or  four  feet  of  water,  from  the  Keys  to  Clay  Land- 
ing ;  and  he  wished  he  "  was  jes  as  sartin  of  gwine  to 
heaben  as  he  was  of  gwine  frew  dem  channels." 

The  Middy  started,  in  the  fog  and  darkness,  to  pass 
the  bar ;  though  not  till  the  captain  had  carefully  con- 
sulted all  his  authorities  on  board  in  regard  to  the  chan- 
nel, and  ascertained  that  the  spring-tides  were  then  pre- 
vailing. 

"  I'm  going  to  trust  you,  Clem,"  said  the  captain,  HS  • 


JACK    SOMERS   IN    THE   NAVY.  307 

he  conducted  him  to  the  wheel-house  ;  "  but  woe  betide 
you  if  you  get  us  into  trouble  ! " 

"  Golly,  massa  !  What's  dis  nigger  gwine  to  git  you 
into  trouble  fur?  I  kin  take  de  steamboat  up  to  Clay 
Landin'  ;  and  dat's  fur  as  five  foot  kin  go.  Git  you  into 
trouble,  massa  cap'n !  Golly !  I  guess  dis  chile  git 
hisself  into  trouble  fus.  Yah,  yah  !  What  you  s'pose 
ole  massa  say  if  he  cotch  Clem  takin'  Yankee  gunboat 
up  de  riber  ?  I  s'peck  he  broke  his  back  if  he  cotch  him, 
jes  as  shore  as  you  was  a  white  man  !  " 

"  Well,  never  mind  that  now,"  added  Captain  McBride, 
who  could  not  help  seeing  the  force  of  the  black  pilot's 
argument.  "  Go  into  the  wheel-house  now,  and  tell  the 
quartermaster  how  to  steer." 

"  Sar  !  "  exclaimed  Clem,  opening  his  mouth  from  ear 
to  ear. 

"  Give  these  men  your  orders,  and  they  will  observe 
them." 

"  Clem  gib  dese  gemmen  de  orders  ?" 

"  Certainly." 

"  Cotch  Clem  doin'  such  a  t'ing  as  dat,  massa  cap'n  ! 
Nigger  gib  orders  to  de  white  man  !  Yah,  yah,  yah  !  " 
and  the  pilot  doubled  up  and  laughed  till  the  waistbands 
of  his  new  trousers  were  in  danger  of  being  mptured. 

"  Come,  Clem,  we  are  losing  the  tide,"  said  the  cap- 
tain 

"  Yes,  sar  !  "  exclaimed  he,  springing  to  the*  wheel. 
"  Whar  does  you  stroke  dem  bells?" 


SOS  THE    SAILOR    BOY;     OR, 

"  Here,"  said  Jack,  pointing  out  the  bell-pulls. 

"If  de  gemman  gib  dis  chile  de  wheel,  he  can  steer 
hisself  all  aloue." 

"  Give  him  the  wheel,  quartermaster,"  added  the  cap- 
tain. 

The  black  pilot  stuck  his  head  out  of  the  Avindow,  as 
though  he  was  trying  to  peer  through  the  fog  and  gloom 
of  the  night.  It  certainly  looked  very  hopeless  ;  but  the 
negro  snuffed  the  air  half  a  dozen  times,  and  then  confi- 
dently struck  the  bell  to  go  ahead. 

"Have  you  got  your  bearings?"  demanded  the  cap- 
tain nervously  ;  for  it  looked  like  dubious  business  to  go 
over  a  bar,  with  not  more  than  six  feet  of  water  on  it,  in 
such  a  night  as  that. 

"  Yes,  massa  cap'n :  I  smell  um,"  replied  Clem  gravely. 

"  You  smell  them,  you  black  rascal !  What  do  you 
mean  by  that  ?  "  roared  the  captain  angrily  ;  for  he  was 
disturbed  by  a  strong  suspicion  that  Clem  was  making 
game  of  him. 

"  Golly,  massa  cap'n,  you  frighten  dis  nigger  out  of 
his  wits  ;  and  he  won't  know  de  channel  from  de  reef ! " 

"  What  do  you  mean  by  saying  that  you  smell  your 
bearings  ?  " 

"  Yes,  massa,  dat's  so :  I  smell  de  rotten  isters  ober 
on  de  point  dar." 

The  Middy  now  went  ahead  slowTly.  Clem  was  as 
confident  as  though  it  had  been  broad  daylight,  with  a 


JACK    SOAIERS    IN    THE    NAVY.  .    309 

clear  sky  above  him.  Tom  Longstone  heaved  the  lead 
constantly. 

"  Quarter,  less  two  !  "  said  he  as  the  steamer  began  to 
move. 

"  Dat's  all  right  dar,"  said  the  black  pilot.  "  Dig 
chile  kin  tell  you  de  depf  hisself,  widont  no  soundin'." 

"And  a  half,  one  !  "  added  Tom  with  emphasis. 

"  Yes,  sar ;  and,  de  nex'  time  you  frow,  find  jes  one 
fadom." 

"  By  the  mark,  one ! "  roared  Tom,  who  thought  it 
was  about  time  to  strike  two  bells. 

"  Rite  on  de  bar,  massa,"  said  Clem,  thrusting  his 
head  out  of  the  side-window,  and  taking  three  long  snuffs. 
"  Dar's  de  pint  ober  dar." 

"  By  the  mark,  one  ! "  repeated  Tom  as  he  threw  the 
lead  again. 

"  Needn't  soun'  no  more  down  dar.  Dis  chile  knows 
all  about  it  Tiisself,"  cried  Clem,  who  appeared  to  think 
that  the  precaution  was  an  imputation  upon  his  skill  or 
his  loyalty. 

But  Tom  did  not  suspend  tne  operation  ;  and  soon  the 
depth  increased  to  eight  feet. 

"All  right  now,  massa  cap'n,"  said  Clem  a  few  min- 
utes later,  as  he  fixed  his  eye  on  the  compass. 

The  binnacle-lamp  had  been  lighted  :  but  it  was  not  to 
be  supposed  that  Clem  knew  any  thing  about  the  com- 
pass ;  yet  great  was  the  astonishment  of^  the  captain 


310  THE    SAILOR    HOY;    OR, 

when  it,  was  observed  that  now  he  steered  entirely  by 
that  instrument. 

'  What  is  your  course,  Clem  ? "  asked  Captain  Mo 
Bride. 

"  No'th-east  by  no'th,  massa,"  replied  the  black  pilot. 

"  Can  you  box  the  compass  ?  " 

"  Yes,  sar ;  no'th,  no'th  by  east,  nor'-nor'-east,  no'th- 
east  by  no'th,  nor'-east,  no'th-east  by  east,  east-nor'-east, 
east  by  uo'th,  east,"  chattered  Clem  without  hesitation. 

"  That  will  do.     Where  did  you  learn  that  ?  " 

"  'Board  vessel  down  t'  de  Keys." 

Clem  was  certainly  a  prize  ;  and  Captain  McBride  was 
duly  grateful  that  this  "  intelligent  contraband  "  had  con- 
cluded to  run  away  at  the  precise  time  he  did. 

"  Steamer  on  the  port-bow  !  "  shouted  the  lookout  on 
the  forecastle. 

"  Dems  'em,  massa  cap'n  ;  and  de  fort's  right  ober 
dar,"  said  Clem,  pointing  out  of  the  window. 

"  We  had  better  not  wake  up  the  fort,  if  we  can  help 
it,"  said  the  captain. 

"  I  think  not,  sir,"  added  Mr.  Dickey. 

The  fog  was  not  quite  so  dense  up  the  river  as  it  had 
been  outside  ;  and  the  blockade-runner  cw.\!  be  distinctly 
seen,  at  anchor.  But  there  was  a  great  deal  of  confusion 
on  board  of  her,  as  it  now  appeared  from  the  noise  which 
reached  the  Middy.  Probably  her  captain  Avas  not  a 
little  surprised  to  find  a  United-States  steamer  at  his 


JACK    SOMERS    IN    THE    NAVY.  311 

heels  on  such  a  night  and  in  such  a  place  ;  and  it  must 
be  acknowledged  that  Captain  McBride  was  scarcely  less 
surprised. 

"Can  you  run  alongside  that  steamer?"  asked  the 
captain  of  the  pilot. 

"  No,  sar :  dat  steamer  don't  draw  no  more'n  four 
foot  ob  water." 

"  Clear  away  the  first  cutter,  Mr.  Dickey  !  "  added  the 
captain.  "  Send  Mr.  Brackett  to  board  the  steamer." 

In  a  few  moments,  the  first  cutter,  as  the  starboard 
quarter  boat  was.  designated,  was  pulling  towards  the- 
blockade-runner.  It  contained,  besides  the  second-lieu- 
tenant, an  engineer,  a  master's  mate,  and  fifteen  seamen, 
all  armed  to  the  teeth.  As  the  boat  approached  the 
prize,  a  rocket  went  up  from  her  forecastle,  and  she  be- 
gan to  move  up  the  river  again.  But,  before  she  had  got 
i'ull  headway  on,  Mr.  Brackett  boarded  her.  No  resist- 
ance was  made,  though  some  of  the  crew  jumped  over- 
board, and  swam  towards  the  shore. 

The  rocket  had  done  its  *work,  and  the  battery  opened 
fire ;  but  the  aim  of  the  gunners  seemed  to  be  half  a 
mile  farther  up  the  river,  and  no  notice  was  taken  of  the 
firing  by  the  Middy.  The  prize  was  brought  alongside 
the  steamer,  and  her  crew  put  in  irons  to  prevent  them 
from  doing  mischief.  Mr.  Brackett  was  directed  to  re- 
main on  board  of  her  with  his  prize-crew ;  and  Jack 
was  ordered  to  her  wheel,  with  instructions  to  follow  the 


312  THE    SAILOR    BOY;    OR, 

Middy.  Both  vessels  reached  the  bar  in  safety ;  but 
there  was  not  water  enough  for  the  little  gunboat  to  go 
over^  and  she  was  compelled  to  anchor.  The  Olympus 
—  for  Clem  had  been  correct  in  his  supposition  —  was 
supplied  with  provisions  and  stores,  and  ordered  to  Key 
West.  An  engineer  and  two  first-class  firemen  were 
sent  on  board,  who,  with  her  negro  firemen,  formed  a 
sufficient  force  for  the  engine.  The  master's  mate  and 
six  seamen  also  went  in  her. 

The  Olympus  was  a  river-steamer  of  light  draught.  She 
was  loaded  with  a  valuable  cargo  of  hardware  and  cloth- 
ing, which  she  had  just  brought  up  from  Cedar  Keys, 
where  it  had  been  landed  by  a  schooner  hailing  from 
Nassau.  Captain  McBride  had  .some  doubts  whether  she 
would  reach  Key  West ;  but  nothing  else  could  be  done 
with  her ;  and  he  had  full  confidence  in  Mr.  Brackett's 
skill  and  prudence.  She  was  fortunately  favored  with 
good  weather ;  and,  at  the  end  of  three  weeks,  the  prize- 
crew  returned  to  the  Middy  by  a  vessel  bound  to  Pen- 
sacola. 

"  Now,  massa  cap'n,"  said  Clem,  when  the  Olympus 
had  departed,  "  dar's  two  boats  loaded  with  cotton  up  de 
riber,  wat's  gwine  down  to  de  Keys  to  load  de  schooners 
dar." 

"Where  are  they?" 

"  Up  to  Clay  Landing,  massa."  ' 

"  Can  we  go  up  there?" 


JACK    SOMEItS    IN    THE   NAVY.  313 

"  Yes,  sar,  'pose  de  fort  let  you  go." 

"  We  can  take  care  of  the  fort." 

"And  de  gorillas,  massa?" 

"The  what?" 

"  Dem  fellers  dat  goes  about  on  hoss-back  cutting 
people  froats,  —  dem  dat  fired  on  de  boats  down  to  de 
Keys." 

"Oh!  the  guerillas?" 

"  Yes,  sar." 

"We  can  take  care  of  them  too." 

"  Take  de  gumboat  right  up  dar,  den  ;  but  de  gorillas 
done  shoot  de  man  at  de  wheel ! "  added  Clem  with  a 
shudder. 

"Well,  we  have  iron  screens  to  .protect  the  helms- 
man." 

The  Middy  remained  at  her  anchorage  above  the  bar 
till  the  forenoon  of  the  next  day,  when  a  southerly  wind, 
Avhich  had  prevailed  for  several  days,  had  raised  the 
Avater  nearly  two  feet  above  the  ordinary  level  of  high 
tide.  The  fog  had  disappeared  ;  and,  under  these  favor- 
.able  circumstances,  the  little  gunboat  sailed  on  her  cruise 
up  the  river,  where  no  armed  steamer  had  gone  before. 
The  iron  screens  had  been  put  up  to  protect  the  gunners 
and  the  helmsman,  and  every  preparation  made  for  a 
stormy  time. 

Clem  was  now  as  lively  as  though  he  had  been  going 
to  a  ball  instead  of  a  battle.  He  opened  his  mouth  wide 


314  THE    SAILOR    HOY;    O  K, 

.  enough  to  shame  the  alligators,  and  seemed  to  rejoice 
continually  at  his  good  fortune  in  escaping  to  the  "  gum- 
boat."  From  the  paymaster's  stores  he  had  been  rigged 
out  in  a  complete  suit  of  seaman's  clothes ;  and  the 
chauge  of  dress  certainly  wrought  a  marvellous  revo- 
lution in  his  personal  appearance.  He  was  apparently 
forty  years  of  age,  as  black  as  charcoal,  and  very  far 
from  being  a  handsome  man.  He  had  no  knowledge  of 
any  thing  except  what  related  to  his  particular  sphere  of 
duty.  He  didn't  know  what  caused  the  war  ;  but  he  was 
sure  it  would  free  the  slaves.  He  had  been  down  to  Key 
West  several  times  in  a  schooner ;  but  his  travels  did 
not  appear  to  have  enlarged  his  understanding.  He  was 
always  good-natured,  docile,  and  funny.  He  could  not 
speak  without  exciting  a  laugh ;  and  at  once  became  a 
favorite  with  both  officers  and  crew,  all  of  whom  had  a 
high  respect  for  him  on  account  of  his  skill  as  a  pilot. 

Clem  took  his  place  at  the  wheel ;  and  the  Middy  as- 
cended the  river,  with  the  American  flag  flying  at  the 
stern,  to  the  intense  disgust  of  "  Secesh  "  on  its  banks. 
In  due  time,  the  fort  opened  upon  her  very  spitefully ;  . 
but  its  guns  proved  to  be  miserably  inefficient  in  range, 
which  suggested  to  Captain  McBride  his  proper  course. 
Dropping  his  anchor  with  a  spring  on  the  cable,  out  of 
reach  of  the  enemy's  guns,  he  proceeded  in  a  leisurely 
manner  to  knock  the  works  to  pieces  with  his  thirty-two- 
pouuder  and  one  quarter-gun. 


JACK    SOMERS    IN    THE    NAVY.  315 


CHAPTER    XXX. 

ON   THE    SUWANNEE    RIVER. 

'HE  superiority  of  the  Middy's  metal  over  that 
of  the  fort  was  soon  manifest,  not  only  to  those 
on  board  the  steamer,  but  to  the  occupants  of  the 
works ;  and  the  latter  displayed  their  apprecia- 
tion of  the  fact  by  running  away  This  important  part 
of  the  enterprise  being  disposed  of,  the  gunboat  pro- 
ceeded up  the  river.  On  her  passage,  she  was  contin- 
ually assailed  by  riflemen  on  the  banks  of  the  river ; 
but  the  bullets  struck  harmlessly  upon  the  iron  screens 
which  protected  the  wheel-house  and  the  gun-crews. 

Clem  performed  his  share  of  the  work  to  the  admira- 
tion of  the  officers.  Safely  ensconced  behind  the  iron 
plates  of  his  quarters,  he  shouted  with  delight  when  the 
rifle-balls  struck  the  screens. 

"  Golly !  dis  jes  like  a  skeeter-bar ! "  cried  he  with 
his  long  chattering  laugh.  "  You  hears  de  skeeters 
buzz  on  de  outside :  but  dey  can't  come  in,  nohow ; 
no,  sar  !  Yah,  yah,  yah !  " 

"  Shut  your  mouth,  blackee,  afore  any  one  falls  into  it," 
added  Tom  Longstone. 


316  THE    SAILOR    BOY;    OK, 

"  Yah,  yah,  yah  ! "  added  Clem,  peering  through  the 
sight-holes  in  the  front  screens.  "  Bar's  de  steamers  !  " 

"  I  see  them,"  said  Jack.  "  There  are  hundreds  of 
people  on  shore." 

Just  then,  a  shot  from  the  thirty-two-pounder  fell  near 
them,  and  they  fled.  At  the  same  time,  the  quarter-guns 
opened  with  canister ;  and  not  a  human  being  could  be 
seen  in  any  direction.  Captain  McBride  was  afraid  that 
the  rebels  would  set  fire  to  the  steamers  when  their  -cap- 
ture became  inevitable,  especially  as  the  Middy  could  not 
run  up  into  the  shallow  water,  where  they  were  moored 
to  the  shore. 

Mr.  Dickey  was  ordered  to  get  out  the  first  cutter, 
and,  with  a  strong  force,  proceed  to  the  steamers  ;  the 
Middy  all  the  time  playing  upon  the  shore  with  grape 
and  canister  to  keep  the  rebels  at  a  respectful  distance. 
Jack  Somers  asked  permission  to  go  in  the  boat ;  and, 
as  Mr.  Dickey  knew  the  value  of  his  services,  his  request 
Avas  readily  granted.  The  boat  dashed  in  under  the  stern 
of  the  nearest  steamer  ;  but  the  painter  had  scarcely  been 
made  fast  before  a  volley  of  rifle-balls  was  discharged 
into  the  midst  of  the  crew  by  a  gang  of  rebels  concealed 
among  the  cotton-bales. 

"  I  am  wounded  !  "  groaned  Mr.  Dickey,  sinking  back 
in  the  stern-sheets  of  the  boat,  just  as  he.  had  risen  to 
board  the  steamer.  "  Lead  on,  Somers  ;  don't  mind 
me ! "  added  the  intrepid  young  officer  as  the  seamen 
hesitated. 


JACK    SOMERS    IN    THE  NAVY.  317 

"  Come  on,  boys !  come  on  ! "  shouted  Jack,  leaping 
on  board  the  cotton-boat. 

"Ay,  ay!"  added  the  men  with  a  cheer  as  they  fol- 
lowed our  hero. 

The  rebels  who  had  fired  the  volley  had  formecl  a  case- 
mate among  the  cotton-bales,  at  the  stern  of  the  steamer. 
As  soon  as  Jack  discovered  the  position  of  the  enemy,  he 
ordered  the  cockswain  of  the  first  cutter  to  cast  off,  and 
pull  away  from  his  exposed  situation.  The  order  was 
obeyed ;  the  four  men  in  the  boat  moving  her  up  under 
the  lee  of  the  steamer's  paddles.  One  man  had  been 
killed,  and  one  wounded,  besides  the  first-lieutenant. 

Jack  had  fourteen  men  with  him ;  and  of  course  he 
lost  no  time  in  placing  them  out  of  the  reach  of  the  rebel 
riflemen  at  the  stern  of  the  boat.  As  the  guns  of  the 
Middy  protected  his  party  from  assault  in  the  direction 
of  the  shore,  our  hero  was  in  no  haste  to  finish  the  affair. 
He  took  time  to  consider  the  best  means  of  driving  the 
enemy  from  their  lair  without  the  loss  of  any  of  his 
men. 

Climbing  up  to  the  top  of  the  mass  of  cotton-bales,  he 
soon  found  a  way  to  their  stronghold,  which  was  open  at 
the  top.  But  it  was  not  safe  to  approach  the  den ;  for 
the  rebels  were  ready  to  fire  the  moment  they  discovered 
a  blue-jacket. 

"  Bear  a  hand  here,  my  lads  ! "  said  Jack  in  a  low 
tone,  when  a  happy  thought  took  possession  of  his  mind. 
"  Roll  up  this  bale  !  " 


318  THE    SAILOR    BOY;    OR, 

"  Ay,  ay  !  "  replied  the  men  promptly,  as  they  saw  at  a 
glance  what  Jack  intended  to  do.  "  Now  she  rises  !  " 

The  bale  did  rise,  was  rolled  over  two  or  three  times, 
and  then  tumbled  down  into  the  lair  of  the  rebels.  From 
the  grqans  and  the  oaths  that  followed  this  novel  assault, 
it  was  plain  that  some  of  the  boat's  defenders  had  been 
crushed  under  the  bale. 

"  Up  with  another  !  "  shouted  Jack. 

"  Ay,  ay,  Somers  !     Here  she  goes  '  " 

But  the  rebels  did  not  wait  for  another.  They  leapect 
from  their  dangerous  quarters,  and  fled  to  the  shore,  — 
those  who  were  able  to  do  so.  An  examination  of  the 
den  showed  that  two  of  the  rebels  had  been  badly  injured 
by  the  fall  of  the  bale.  As  the  seamen  were  all  on  the 
top  of  the  pile,  they  were  unable  to  prevent  the  escape  of 
the  others,  if  they  had  been  disposed  to  do  so. 

Not  another  rebel  could  be  found,  after  a  diligent 
search  in  every  part  of  the  steamer  ;  and  the  victory  was 
complete.  The  fasts  were  cast  off;  and,  while  a  dozen 
men  pushed  her  off  from  the  landing-place  with  poles, 
Jack,  with  the  rest  of  the  men,  pulled  off  to  the  Middy 
with  the  wounded  officer  and  seamen.  Mr.  Dickey  was 
evidently  very  badly  injured,  —  a  bullet  having  passed 
through  his  side.  He  was  faint,  and  appeared  to  be 
rapidly  sinking. 

"  Somers  again  !  "  said  he  with  a  gentle  smile,  in  rec- 
ognition of  the  service  which  Jack  had  rendered. 


JACK    SOMERS    IN    THE    NAVY.  319 

"How  do  you  feel,  sir?" 

"  Very  bad  :  there  is  a  hole 'in  my  side  big  enough  for 
an  alligator  to  crawl  in,"  he  replied  languidly 

Jack  could  not  smile  at  this  conceit ,  for  Mr.  Dickey 
looked  as  though  he  was  dying. 

"  I  ought  to  have  taken  you  on  board  before,  sir." 

"  No,  Somers  :  you  did  just  right,  and  just  what  I 
ordered  you  to  do." 

The  cutter  came  alongside  the  Middy,  and  the  wounded 
officer  was  tenderly  conveyed  to  the  cabin,  where  the 
surgeon  proceeded  to  examine  his  wound.  Before  his 
decision  could  be  reached,  the  captain  orclei'ed  off  the 
cutter  to  secure  the  other  steamer.  It  was  fully  manned 
again,  and  placed  in  charge  of  Mr.  Scott,  the  master's 
mate,  and  the  only  remaining  officer  who  was  available 
for  this  duty.  Captain  McBride  would  willingly  have 
given  Jack  the  command  of  this  expedition  ;  but  it  was 
hardly  in  order  to  send  a  petty-officer  upon  such  duty. 

As  the  boat  pulled  over  to  the  steamer,  Jack  informed 
Mr.  Scott  of  the  manner  in  which  the  first  steamer  had 
been  defended :  so  that  officer  was  prepared  for  an 
ambush.  But  all  doubts  on  this  point  were  soon  settled 
by  the  discovery  of  a  broad  sheet  of  flame  rising  from 
the  steamer's  forecastle.  The  rebels,  whe  were  con- 
cealed in  various  hiding-places  near  the  landing,  had 
improved  the  opportunity  while  the  boat  returned  to  the 
Middy,  and  set  her  on  fire. 


320  THE    SAILOR    BOY;    OR, 

The  first  cutter  dashed  up  to  the  cotton-boat,  and  her 
crew  leaped  on  board.  The  fire  had  made  but  little 
progress.  By  rolling  a  few  of  the  bales  overboard,  and 
a  diligent  use  of  the  buckets,  the  flames  were  extin- 
guished. During  these  operations,  an  occasional  shot 
had  been  fired  by  the  rebels  from  their  concealment  in 
the  storehouses  on  the  shore ;  but  the  distance  was  too 
great  for  effective  firing,  and  no  one  had  been  hit. 

Mr.  Scott,  while  the  cutter  Avas  coming  off,  expressed 
his  astonishment  that  the  enemy  had  not  burned  the 
boats  on  the  appearance  of  the  Middy ;  but  it  seemed, 
from  the  plan  they  had  adopted  to  defend  them,  that 
they  were  confident  of  beating  off  the  steamer's  boats. 
A  further  reason  was  now  manifest  to  the  party,  consist- 
ing of  a  company  of  artillery,  having  four  guns,  which 
now  appeared  on  the  shore,  dashing  down  to  the  landing- 
place  at  the  utmost  speed  of  the  horses. 

"  We  must  abandon  her  !  "  exclaimed  Mr.  Scott  when 
this  new  array  of  force  was  discovered. 

"  I  hope  not,  sir  !  "  replied  Jack.  "  We  can  tow  her 
off  with  the  boat,  or  carry  a  long  line  to  the  Middy." 

"  Cast  off  the  fasts,  Somers  !  "  shouted  Mr.  Scott  in  an 
excited  tone.  "  Pass  that  hawser  into  the  boat !  Lively, 
my  men ! " 

Jack  rushed  forward  to  let  go  the  steamer's  fasts. 
The  rebel  company  were  wheeling  their  guns  into  posi- 
tion, and  there  was  yet  imminent  danger.  Our  sailor- 


JACK    SOMERS    IN    THE    NAVY.  321 

boy,  foreseeing  that  the  long  hawser  would  be  necessary 
in  hauling  off  the  steamer,  considered  it  necessary  to  cast 
off  the  end  on  shore  so  as  to  save  the  line.  For  this  pur- 
pose he  sprang  over  the  gang-plank,  and  had  unfastened 
the  rope,  when  a  bullet  from  the  rifle  of  one  of  the  con- 
cealed rebels  passed  through  the  fleshy  part  of  his  left 
thigh.  He  dropped  upon  the  ground,  just  as  the  steamer 
began  to  recede  from  the  land. 

All  the  boat-party  were  in  the  cutter  or  in  the  after- 
part  of  the  steamer,  so  that  the  catastrophe  which  had 
overtaken  him  was  not  discovered  till  it  was  too  late  to 
remedy  it.  Jack,  with  admirable  presence  of  mind,  tied 
his  handkerchief  tightly  around  his  leg.  He  rose,  and 
attempted  to  walk  down  to  the  water ;  but  he  found 
himself  unable  to  do  so. 

By  this  time,  the  artillery  company  had  unlimbered 
their  pieces,  and  were  pouring  a  steady  fire  into  the 
Middy  and  .the  first  cutter ;  to  which  she  was  replying 
with  shell  from  her  thirty-two,  and  canister  from  one 
of  the  twenty-fours.  Mr.  Scott  was  still  on  board  of  the 
steamer,  with  a  portion  of  the  men.  He  had  attached 
the  hawser  which  Jack  had  saved  to  the  tow-line,  so  that 
the  Middy  soon  had  both  her  prizes  in  hand  ;  with  which, 
having  accomplished  the  work  for  which  she  had  come, 
she  steamed  down  the  river. 

Jack  had  crawled  a  short  distance  from  the  landing- 
place  to  shelter  himself  from  the  fire  of  the  Middy's 
21 


322  THE    SAILOR    BOY;    OR, 

guns  ;  but,  as  soon  as  the  action  ceased,  he  was  waited 
upon  by  at  least  fifty  rebels.  They  were  not  in  the  best 
humor  imaginable,  and  not  disposed  to  treat  the  wounded 
quartermaster  with  the  kindness  due  to  a  brave  but  un- 
fortunate enemy.  He  was  taken  to  a  shed,  and  laid  upon 
some  cotton-bales.  A  doctor  who  was  present  dressed 
his  wound,  and  declared  that  he  would  be  fit  to  be  hung 
in  a  week ;  which  was  certainly  very  consoling  to  the 
sufferer. 

While  he  lay  there  surrounded  by  a  knot  of  rebels,  he 
had  an  opportunity  to  learn  their  opinions.  They  were 
vexed,  disappointed,  and  angry,  and  bestowed  unmeas- 
ured abuse  upon  the  artillery  company  for  not  coming 
sooner.  This  battery  had  been  in  the  vicinity  of  the 
;  £eys  to  guard  that  place  from  a  boat-attack,  which  was 
^xpected.  On  the  appearance  of  the  Middy  on  the  pre- 
ceding night,  it  had  been  sent  for,  and  had  been  mo- 
mentarily expected  during  the  forenoon.  This  was  the 
principal  reason  why  the  steamers  had  not  been  burned. 

Jack  Somers  found  himself  to  be  an  object  of  great 
curiosity.  He  was  visited  by  all  the  men,  women,  and 
children  in  the  place,  all  of  whom  were  anxious  to  look 
upon  one  of  the  "  terrible  Yankees."  The  sufferer  was 
not  a  very  dangerous-looking  person,  especially  in  his 
present  exhausted  condition  ;  and  those  who  came  to 
scoff  at  him  found  (heir  admiration  and  sympathy  ex- 
cited rather  thau  their  hatred.  He  was  pale,  but  he 


JACK    SOMERS    IN    THE    NAVY.  323 

was  handsome ;  and  the  ladies  expressed  their  surprise 
that  such  a  pretty  boy  should  be  a  "horrid  Yank." 

Among  those  who  came  were  Major  Saudford,  a  rich 
planter  residing  near  the  landing,  and  his  wife  and 
daughter.  The  latter,  a  girl  of  fifteen,  was  touched  to 
the  heart  by  the  sad,  pale  face  of  Jack.  She  thought  it 
was  a  terrible  thing  for  such  a  nice-looking  young  man 
to  lie  wounded  and  suffering  upon  a  heap  of  cotton- 
bales. 

"  What  is  your  name,  poor  fellow?"  said  she. 

"  John  Somers,  miss,"  answered  Jack. 

"  What  did  you  come  down  here  to  kill  our  people 
for?"  added  she. 

"Because  they  are  rebels  and  traitors'!"  replied  he 
faintly 

We  don't  know  whether  Miss  Edith  Sandford  liked 
this  answer  or  not  5  but  she  protested  with  all  her  might 
against  the  little  Yankee's  lying  on  cotton-bales,  where 
he  was,  in  such  a  dreadful  condition.  She  insisted  that 
her  father  should  take  him  home,  and  treat  him  like  a 
human  being.  She  was  an  only  daughter ;  and,  though 
Major  Sandford  had  a  great  many  objections,  he  finally 
-consented,  and  Jack  was  paroled  for  this  purpose 

He  was  conveyed  in  a  wagon  to  the  house  of  the 
planter ;  a  good  room  was  provided  for  him,  and  Edith 
saw  that  he  was  tenderly  nursed.  At  the  expiration  of  a 
fortnight,  he  was  able  to  walk  out. 


324  THE    SAILOR    BOY;    OR, 

"  I  wish  you  wasn't  a  Yankee,"  said  Edith  one  day,  as 
they  walked  in  front  of  the  mansion. 

"  I  wish  you  wasn't  a  rebel,"  replied  Jack. 

"  I'm  not  a  rebel,  any  more  than  you  are  ! "  exclaimed 
she,  with  a  very  pretty  pout  upon  her  interesting  coun- 
tenance. 

"  "We  won't  talk  politics  then,"  laughed  Jack.  "  I 
suppose  my  time  here  is  about  out,  and  I  must  soon  be 
sent  to  a  rebel  prison." 

"  To  prison?  Oh,  no  !  they  won't  send  a  nice  young 
man  like  you  to  prison." 

"But  they  will,  Miss  Edith." 

"  Why  don't  you  run  off,  then?" 

"  I  would  not  break  my  parole." 

"  I  thought  a  Yankee  would  do  any  thing  that  is  mean  ?" 

"  I  think  not." 

It  was  plain  that  Edith  was  much  interested  in  Jack  ; 
bnd  she  was  not  the  first  young  lady  who  had  been  moved 
in  the  same  direction:  not  that  she  indulged  in  "moon- 
shine "  at  his  expense  ;  'but  she  pitied  him.  She  wept 
when  the  captain  of  the  artillery  company  insisted  that 
his  prisoner  should  be  sent  off;  for  he  did  not  believe  in 
treating  Yankees  like  gentlemen. .  No  reasonable  excuse 
could  be  offered  for  resisting  this  claim  ;  and  Jack,  after 
giving  up  his  parole,  was  taken  into  custody.  He  was 
sent  to  a  barrack  a  few  miles  farther  inland,  Avhere  three 
others,  captured  from  a  boat-expedition  at  Cedar  Keys, 


JACK    SOMKRS    IN    Till!!    NAVY.  325 

were  confined.  They  were  to  remain  here  till  an  oppor- 
tunity offered  to  send  them  to  a  prison-camp. 

Jack  decided  not  to  wait  for  this  opportunity ;  but  one 
night  he  made  his  way  through  the  roof  of  the  barrack, 
and,  under  the  guidance  of  a  negro  who  was  panting  {'or 
the  "  day  of  jubilee,"  reached  the  coast,  near  the  mouth 
of  the  Suwannee.  After  starving,  and  suffering  from 
cold  and  storms,  for  a  week,  they  found  a  dug-out,  with 
which  they  pulled  off  to  the  Middy. 

"  Somers  again  !  "  said  Mr.  Dickey  as  he  climbed  over 
the  bulwark. 

Mr.  Dickey  was  not  dead,  and  gave  him  a  warm  hand 
as  he  stepped  upon  deck. 

"  My  darling  !  "  cried  Tom  Longstone.  "  I  was  sure 
you  was  dead  ! " 

"  Not  yet,  Tom.  I  was  wounded ;  but  I  am  pretty 
well  now." 

Jack  had  been  absent  four  weeks,  and  had  suffered 
a  great  deal  during  the  last  part  of  this  time ;  but  it  was 
worth  while  to  endure  a  great  deal  for  such  a  welcome 
as  was  extended  to  him  by  officers  and  crew.  After  he 
had  taken  his  supper,  he  told  his  story,  and  listened  to 
a  narrative  of  the  events  which  had  taken  place  on  board 
during  his  absence.  The  cotton-steamers  had  been  sent 
to  Key  AVest,  and  the  officers  and  men  who  went  ia 
them  had  just  returned.  Mr.  Dickey  had  been  very  low, 
and  was  not  expected  to  live  for  a  week.  He  was  now 


926  THE    SAILOR    BOY,     OR, 

able  only  to  walk  about  the  deck.  Clem  had  taken  the 
Middy  through  every  conceivable  channel  where  there 
was  water  enough  to  float  her,  and  was  still  a  favorite  on 
board. 

"  Now,  Somers,  if  yoTi  have  finished  your  yarn,  I  want 
to  see  you,"  said  Captain  McBridc  at  a  later  hour  in  the 
evening.  "  Here  is  your  warrant  as  a  midshipman  ;  and 
you  are  ordered  to  the  Naval  Academy,  after  a  thirty- 
days'  leave  of  absence.  Here  is  a  letter  from  Captain 
Bankhead." 

"  Thank  you,  sir ! "  exclaimed  Jack  as  he  took  the 
papers. 

"A  supply-steamer  will  be  along  in  a  few  days,  and 
you  will  leave  in  her,"  added  the  captain. 

Jack  was  bewildered  by  this  intelligence  ;  for  the  pros- 
pect of  seeing  Pinchbrook  in  a  few  days,  and  embracing 
his  mother,  shaking  hands  with  his  father,  and  spinning 
yarns  to  the  rest  of  the  folks,  was  very  delightful.  The 
tAvo  days  he  remained  on  board  the  Middy,  he  spent  with 
Tom  in  the  wheel-house.  The  veteran  could  hardly  recon- 
cile himself  to  part  with  his  young  friend ;  but,  as  it  was 
for  Jack's  advancement,  he  put  a  cheerful  face  upon  the 
matter. 

The  supply-steamer  arrived  ;  and  Jack,  after  thanking 
the  captain  for  his  kindness  and  shaking  hands  with  oift- 
cers  and  crew,  went  on  board :  and  thus  ended  the  career 
of  Jack  Somers  in  the  navy  as  an  ordinary  seaman. 


JACK    SOMERS    IN    THE    NAVY.  327 


CHAPTER     XXXI. 

HOMEWARD   BOUND. 

(Y/'ACK   SOMERS  was  compelled  to  remain  at  Key 

/*Ra  West  three  weeks  before  he  could  find  a  vessel 
f"\J/,  bound  to  the  North ;  and  the  important  docii- 

—  inents  which  he  carried  burned  in  his  pocket. 
He  wanted  to  show  them  to  Captain  Barney,  to  his 
mother,  and  to  all  his  friends  in  Pinchbrook.  They 
were  the  evidences  of  his  good  conduct,  of  his  skill  and 
bravery ;  and,  though  Jack  was  a  modest  young  man,  he 
was  proud  of  his  record.  He  had  served  his  country 
faithfully  and  zealously ;  and  he  was  grateful  to  his 
friends  for  their  high  appreciation  of  his  services. 

During  those  three  weeks  of  idleness,  Jack  applied 
himself  closely  to  the  study  of  navigation  ;  using  a  book 
which  Captain  McBride  had  kindly  presented  to  him. 
He  felt  that  he  had  not  a  moment  to  waste,  and  that  his 
future  success  depended  upon  the  zeal  and  energy  with 
which  he  devoted  himself  to  his  studies.  He  was  anx- 
ious to  secure  a  high  rank  in  the  Naval  School ;  and  he 
was  willing  to  purchase  his  anticipated  position  by  hard 
work. 


328  THE    SAILOR    BOY;    OK, 

•J 

He  was  already  a  thorough  seaman.  Tom  Longstone 
had  been  a  patient  teacher,  and  he  had  learned  all  that 
belongs  to  an  able  seaman's  duty.  He  was  perfectly 
familiar  with  the  practical  part  of  gunnery ;  was  thor- 
oughly posted  in  all  the  technicalities  of  the  ship  and  its 
batteries.  Of  the  science  of  gunnery  he  knew  only  what 
he  had  learned  from  his  books  since  the  Middy  sailed 
from  New  Orleans.  He  had  thus  obtained  a  measure  of 
knowledge  in  regard  to  the  practical  details  of  his  profes- 
sion, to  the  attainment  of  which  the  young  gentlemen  in 
the  Naval  School  must  devote  months  or  years.  But 
Jack  had  not  acqiiired  all  this  information  during  the 
single  year  he  had  been  in  the  navy  :  he  had  simply 
added  to  his  previous  knowledge  by  close  attention  to 
his  duty. 

Busy  as  he  was  with  his  studies,  he  found  time  to  write 
a  long  letter  to  Captain  Bankhead,  informing  him  of  the 
reception  of  his  warrant,  and  expressing  his  gratitude  for 
the  friendly  interest  he  had  ever  manifested  in  his  wel- 
fare. "  I  shall  always  think  the  trip  we  made  to  Fort 
Warren  on  that  dark  November  night,  a  year  ago,  was 
the  luckiest  cruise  I  ever  made,"  wrote  Jack  in  the  let- 
ter ;  "  for  it  gave  me  a  friend  who  has  done  more  for  me 
than  I  could  ever  have  done  fbr  myself." 

Jack  wrote  this  ;  but  I  am  sure  that  Captain  Bankhead 
neither  would  nor  could  have  done  what  he  did,  if  our 
hero  had  not  deserved  such  distinguished  favors,  —  if  he 


JACK    SOMERS    IN    THE    NAVY.  329 

had  not  been  a  good  boy  and  a  good  seaman.  He  had 
several  weeks  before  received  letters  from  home,  inform- 
ing him  that  his  brother  had  been  promoted  to  a  lieuten- 
ancy. Tom  was  a  commissioned  officer,  and  was  therefore 
some  months,  if  not  years,  ahead  of  him  in  the  race  for 
distinction ;  but  both  of  them,  while  they  had  a  just  and 
proper  regard  for  the  honors  of  their  respective  profes- 
sions, were  better  satisfied  to  have  served  their  country 
in  its  hour  of  trial  than  they  were  to  receive  their  mej> 
itcd  promotion. 

Jack  wanted  very  much  to  get  home  ;  but  he  was  so 
busy  with  his  studies,  that  he  had  no  time  to  be  impatient 
at  the  delay.  When  an  opportunity  to  depart  was  pre- 
sented, he  was  much  less  elated  than  his  half-dozen  im- 
patient companions  who  had  nothing  to  occupy  their 
minds.  The  men  who  were  to  go  North  were  sent  on 
board  of  an  old  steamer,  which  was  hardly  seaworthy, 
and  which  was  going  to  New  York  for  repairs. 

The  voyage  was  prosperous  till  the  steamer  reached 
the  latitude  of  Cape  Hatteras,  where  she  was  overtaken 
by  one  of  the  severe  gales  which  prevail  in  that  region. 
The  vessel  leaked  badly,  and  shipped  great  seas,  till  she 
was  in  imminent  danger  of  foundering.  It  required  the 
utmost  exertion  of  all  hands  to  keep  her  afloat ;  but 
the  men  worked  zealously  and  cheerfully,  till  an  accident 
to  the  engine  seemed  to  deprive  them  of  all  hope  of  ever 
seeing  the  laud  again. 


330  THE    SAILOR    BOY;    C  R, 

The  ship  rolled  and  pitched  heavily  in  the  head-seas 
for  a  time ;  and,  at  every  roll,  it  seemed  as  though  her 
back  must  be  broken.  By  almost  superhuman  efforts 
on  the  part  of  the  crew,  sufficient  sail  was  set  to  keep  her 
head  up  to  the  sea,  and  she  worked  easier.  Jack  had 
just  come  down  from  the  fore-topsail-yard,  completely 
exhausted  by  the  violence  of  his  exertions.  Life-lines 
had  been  extended  along  the  deck  for  the  men  to  hold 
on  by  when  the  seas  swept  over  the  decks.  Jack  had 
grasped  one  of  these  ropes  just  as  the  ship  felt  her  helm  ; 
when  a  great  combing  billow  broke  over  the  bow,  sweep- 
ing a  flood  of  water  towards  the  stern. 

The  second-lieutenant  of  the  steamer,  who  had  been 
forward  superintending  the  setting  of  the  sail,  was  iu 
front  of  him,  and,  cither  by  accident  or  carelessness,  lost 
his  hold  upon  the  life-line.  The  mass  of  water  bore  him 
along,  as  though  he  had  been  a  feather,  towards  a  hole 
which  the  sea. had  stove  in  the  bulwarks.  Perceiving 
the  perilous  situation  of  the  officer,  Jack  seized  the  inner 
fake  of  a  rope,  flemished  on  the  deck,  and  sprang  towards 
the  lieutenant.  "Passing  the  line  around  his  body.,  he  fol- 
lowed the  rolling  billow,  and  succeeded  in  securing  a 
hold  upon  the  officer's  leg,  just  as  he  was  sliding  over 
the  plank-shear  into  the  sea. 

Jack  would  certainly  have  gone  with  him,  if  his  atten- 
tive shipmates  had  not  grasped  the  other  end  of  the  line 
by  which  he  had  secured  himself.  Another  sea  rolled 


JACK    SOMERS    IN    THE    XAVY.  301 

over  them  before  they  could  recover  their  perpendicular 
positions  ;  but  Jack  held  on  to  the  leg  of  the  officer,  and 
the  men  hauled  them  both  up  to  the  life-line. 

"  Your  name  ?  "  demanded  the  lieutenant,  when  he  had 
regained  his  feet. 

"  Somers,  sir." 

"  Well,  Somers,  this  is  a  bad  time  to  plank  the  deck," 
he  added  with  a  smile,  as  he  emptied  the  salt  water 
from  his  mouth. 

"  Very  bad,  sir." 

"  You  shall  hear  from  me  again,  Somers,"  added  the 
officer  as  he  walked  aft. 

After  the  crew  of  the  old  steamer  had  endured  more 
than  we  have  room  to  describe,  the  gale  broke  ;  and,  fa- 
vored with  better  weather,  the  engine  was  repaired,  and 
she  proceeded  on  her  voyage,  very  much  to  the  satisfaction 
of  those  who  had  lost  all  hope  of  ever  reaching  the  land. 

The  next  day,  while  the  ship  was  rolling  heavily 
through  the  sea  which  had  not  yet  subsided,  Jack,  who 
had  just  been  relieved  from  duty  at  the  pumps,  was  ac- 
costed by  Mr.  Waldron,  the  second-lieutenant,  whom  he 
had  saved  from  an  ocean-grave. 

"  Somers,  you  saved  my  life  yesterday :  what  can  I 
do  for  you?"  said  he. 

"  Thank  you,  sir:  I'm  not  in  want  of  any  thing  just 
now,"  replied  Jack,  touching  his  cap. 

"•  Your  time  is  out,  I  suppose  ?  " 

. 


332  THE    SAILOR    BOY:    OR, 

"  Yes,  sir." 

"  Do  you  quit  the  navy?" 

"No,  sir." 

"  Well,  then,  my  lad,  you  shall  have  a  better  berth 
than  you  had  before.  I  think  I  have  influence  enough 
to  procure  a  good  rating." 

"  Thank  you,-  sir,"  replied  Jack. 

"  You  look  as  though  you  would  make  a  good  topman. 
What  do  you  say  to  being  captain  of  the  main-top  ?  " 

"  Thank  you,  sir  :  I  have  been  rated  as  cockswain  of 
the  captain's  gig  and  as  a  quartermaster." 

"  Is  that  so?  Then  I  may  not  be  able  to  do  any  thing 
better  in  that  direction." 

Jack  thought  it  would  be  a  good  joke  to  show  him  his 
midshipman's  warrant  at  this  point  of  the  conversation ; 
and  accordingly  he  produced  the  precious  document. 

"  What  are  you  doing  forward  with  this  paper  in 
your  pocket?"  asked  the  astonished  lieutenant. 

"  I  had  no  uniform,  sir,  and  Ava,s  in  no  condition  to 
appear  as  an  officer." 

"  You  shall  swing  your  hammock  in  the  steerage  for  the 
rest  of  the  voyage,  at  least.  If  you  are  a  brother-officer, 
I  need  not  think  of  rewarding  you,"  laughed  Mr.  Waldron, 

u  I  hope  not,  sir." 

Jack  was  immediately  presented  to  the  captain,  who 
ordered  him  to  carry  his  bag  into  the  steerage,  greatly  to 
the  astonishment  of  his  late  companions,  who  had  no 


JACK    SOMERS    IN    THE   NAVY.  333 

suspicion  that  they  had  messed  with  so  distinguished  an 
individual  as  a  midshipman.  The  steamer  rolled  along 
on  her  voyage,  and  at  last  arrived  at  New  York. 

Jack  lost  no  time  in  proceeding  to  Boston,  though  not 
till  he  had  arranged  for  a  meeting  with  Mr.  Waldron  at 
some  future  time  ;  for  the  grateful  officer  insisted  upon 
continuing  the  acquaintance  so  fortunately  begun.  It  was 
about  sunset  when  the  sailor-boy  reached  Pinchbrook. 

"Hallo,  Jack,  my  hearty!  "  said  a  familiar  voice  as- 
he  stepped  from  the  car. 

"  Captain  Barney  !  " 

"Ay,  ay,  my  lad!  But  where  do  you  come  from? 
We  did  not  expect  you  back  yet  a  while,"  added  the  old 
gentleman,  still  wringing  our  hero's  hand. 

Jack  briefly  informed  his  good  friend  where  he  had 
come  from. 

"  Well,  Jack  "  — 

"  I  beg  your  pardon,  Captain  Barney :  call  me  Mr. 
Somers,  if  you  please,"  laughed  Jack. 

"Eh?" 

"  Mr.  Midshipman  Somers  is  my  present  designation." 

"  Whew  !  "  whistled  the  old  sailor. 

"  I  have  won  my  warrant." 

"  Well,  Mr.  Somers  "  — 

"  Avast,  captain :  that  will  do.  You  may  call  me 
Jack,  now  ;  for  I  don't  know  the  sound  of  my  own"name 
with  such  a  long  handle  to  it." 


334  THE    SAILOR    SOT;    OR, 

"  Come  down  to  the  house  with  me,  Jack." 

"  Oh,  no,  sir  !  not  now.  I  must  go  up  and  see  mother  — 
and  father :  I  haven't  seen  him  for  nearly  two  years." 

"  Never  mind :  come  down  to  the  house.  You  will 
scare  your  mother  out  of  her  wits  if  you  bolt  in  upon 
her  like  a  harpoon  into  a  whale.  I'll  put  the  horse  in, 
and  take  you  up  pretty  soon." 

"  I  want  to  see  her  at  once." 

"  And  frighten  her  into  a  fit !  " 

"  She  don't  have  fits  :  at  any  rate,  she  would  only  have 
a  fit  of  gladness  at  seeing  me." 

Captain  Barney  persisted,  apparently  firm  in  the  belief 
that  Mrs.  Somers  would  go  into  hysterics  if  her  son  pre- 
sented himself  too  suddenly.  It  would  be  better  to 
break  the  news  gradually  to  her.  Jack  could  not  help 
himself,  and  walked  home  with  Captain  Barney.  He 
was  conducted  to  the  library  as  the  bell  rang  for  tea. 

"  Come,  Jack,  now  come  out  and  have  some  supper 
with  me,"  said  the  captain. 

"  No,  sir :  decidedly,  I  cannot.  What  would  my 
mother  say  if  I  took  tea  in  Piuchbrook  before  I  went 
home?"  replied  Jack  emphatically 

"  Well,  come  out  and  look  at  the  folks,  at  any  rate ; 
and  then,  if  you  insist  on  going,  I  will  harness  right 
up." 

Jack  began  to  protest  that  he  would  not  go,  even  to 
look  at  the  folks  ;  when  Captaiu  Barney  took  him  by  the 


JACK    SO  HERS    IN    THE    NAVY.  335 

arm,  and  gently  forced  him  through  the  door  leading  to 
the  dining-room. 

"  Why,  John  Somers  !  "  exclaimed  a  voice  which  Jack 
could  not  possibly  mistake. 

"  Why,  Jack,  my  boy !  is  that  you?"  added  another 
voice  equally  familiar  to  his  ear. 

In  {mother  moment  our  sailor-boy  was  in  the  arms  of 
his  mother,  who  hugged  and  kissed  him  as  though  he 
were  still  an  infant.  Mr.  Midshipman  Somers,  regard- 
less of  the  dignity  of  an  officer  in  the  United -States 
Navy,  wept  like  a  baby.  His  "  top-lights"  were  flooded, 
in  spite  of  all  his  efforts  to  suppress  the  rising  tide  ;  but 
we  are  happy  to  say  that  Mrs.  Somers  did  not  go  into 
hysterics,  "  conniptions,"  or  any  thing  of  the  sort.  Like 
a  sensible  woman,  she  did  not  even  faint. 

Captain  Somers  took  the  hand  of  his  brave  boy,  and 
gave  him  a  sailor's  hearty  welcome  home.  The  whole 
family,  it  appeared,  were  taking  tea  at  the  hospitable 
mansion  of  the  retired  shipmaster,  who  had  got  up  a  sur 
prise  for  Jack  as  well  as  for  his  mother.' 

"  Dou't  you  think  my  mother  will  be  frightened  into  a 
fit,  Captain  Barney?"  said  Jack,  when  the  first  greetings 
were  over.  "  You  meant  to  throw  me  into  a  fit." 

"  Well,  Jack,  I  had  no  more  idea  of  seeing  you  than 
I  had  of  seeing  Jeff.  Davis.  I  went  up  after  my  news- 
paper ;  for  I  can't  eat  my  supper  till  I've  seen  the  news ; 
but  I  didn't  expect  to  bring  you  back  with  me." 


336  THE    SAILOR    BOY. 

"I'll  forgive  you  this  time." 

"  Next  time  you  come  home,  I  suppose  yoii'll  be  an 
admiral." 

"  I  hope  not ;  for  I  shall  be  older  than  you  are,  then." 

I  need  not  tell  my  readers  what  a  happy  evening 
was  spent  at  Captain  Barney's,  nor  how  late  Jack  and 
his  parents  sat  up  that  night  in  reviewing  the  events  of 
the  year.  Tom's  letters  were  all  brought  out  and  read ; 
and  Jack  could  not  help  taking  a  little  walk  about  the 
house,  though  the  Pinchbrook  clock  was  striking  twelve. 

"  Eight  bells  !  All  the  starboard-watch,  ahoy  !  "  said 
Jack,  as  he  kissed  his  mother,  and  went  to  his  old  chamber 
in  the  attic  of  the  cottage. 

A  few  days  after  his  return,  Jack  put  on  his  uniform  : 
and  certain  young  ladies  declared  that  he  was  even  a 
"  handsomer  fellow  than  his  brother  Tom  ;"  for  patriotic 
young  ladies  have  a  high  regard  for  blue  coats  and  bright 
buttons. 

At  the  expiration  of  his  furlough,  Jack  reported  at  the 
Naval  School ;  and  here  —  leaving  him  as  a  bright  ex- 
ample of  what  a  young  man  may  accomplish  by  being 
true  to  himself,  true  to  his  country,  and  true  to  God  — 
here  properly  ends  the  eventful  history  of  "  THE  SAILOR 
BOY,"  though  not  of  "  JACK  SOMERS  IN  THE  NAVY." 


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